


The Good Captain | Levi x Reader

by takastrapi



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, 進撃の巨人 | Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:14:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 90,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29946390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takastrapi/pseuds/takastrapi
Summary: Captain Levi isn't usually one for making friends. But when you injure yourself training to be in the Survey Corps, you manage to capture his attention. He offers you something you can't refuse, and something deep inside yourself tells you you must know more about this man.This is a clean x reader between you and short king Captain Levi. Enjoy!Isayama owns the original attack on titan characters in this story. Several named characters are my own creation, and this will be indicated.
Relationships: Levi Ackerman & Original Character(s), Levi Ackerman & Reader, Levi Ackerman/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"(Y/N)." A distant voice called. It was deep and gravely. It wasn't familiar, either. There was a flash of dark green, and a fuzzy image of stony, gray eyes with a look of fear on them. The image was gone as soon as it appeared.

"(Y/N)!" There it was again. It sounded more strained, like something was wrong. Who could this voice belong to? The voice kept calling to you, getting more desperate, but also growing more distant. Soon, it was replaced by a familiar one. 

"(Y/N)!" Your best friend, Mylius screamed into your ear. You shot up a bit too fast, causing your head to feel dizzy for a second. "Oh, good. You're awake now." He said, standing up from his crouched position. 

Mylius has been your friend since as long as you could remember. He's practically your brother at this point. He outstretched his arm so that you could grab hold and stand up. 

The year 845 has not been kind to the two of you. Both of Mylius's parents perished in an unforeseen famine, and you've been without yours for several years. Your mom is still alive, but extremely ill, so much so that she can't take care of you. You were sure she would die soon. Mylius and you have grown to the ripe age of 17, basically raising yourselves. There wasn't much left for you in Shinganshina now. The two of you decided years ago that you would join the scout regiment together, and if this year has taught you anything, it's that now is the perfect time. Neither of you have ever seen a titan, but you've always been fascinated in where they came from and what makes them tick, so joining the military seemed like the natural course for your life. Mylius, however, knows that you can be rash, and he doesn't want you to go off on your own. Plus, if you leave him behind, he'll have no one left.

"Mylius," You said, sounding more serious than you normally would after waking up from a nap.

"What?" He said, looking at you quizzically. 

"I think it's time for us to join the scouts.” You heard him take a sharp breath.

"...Yeah." He said, finally. "Hey, speaking of that, they should be back from their expedition in a few minutes. I know how much you like to go see them return. Plus, maybe we can familiarize ourselves with some of them before we start training."

"Ok, let's go then. I want to get a good spot." You said, getting up quickly. Your head pounded with headache, and Mylius gingerly rested his hands on your shoulders. 

"Hey, stop moving so fast. You worked hard today. Don't overexert yourself.” That's right. The two of you had been training today. That's all there really is to do these days besides work your crappy jobs at the market. You downed a cup of water Mylius gave to you and the two of you headed out the door and to the gate of Wall Maria, eager to greet the victors you so looked up to. 

What you saw instead was the grave faces of soldiers who'd witnessed something you couldn't even imagine. Almost all of their eyes were downcast, if they even kept both eyes. The stink of rotting flesh followed the group, which you noticed was only a fraction of the soldiers who had left the walls just a couple of days earlier. You felt the need to vomit as you noticed multiple people with missing limbs, with blood-soaked gauze covering the phantom appendages. You noticed a woman stopping at the front of the group, crying for her son who had gone on the expedition. You watched as they handed her an arm wrapped in bloody white fabric, before she collapsed on the ground in anguish.

Is this the reality of what's behind the walls? You thought. You dared to turn your face towards Mylius, who looked just as distraught as the rest of the crowd.   
This is more of the reason why you need to join the cause. You can't just stand by and let this keep happening to everyone. Someday, the titans will attack, and what will you do then? You need to be prepared for the reality of what's to come, even if it never comes during your lifetime. 

You noticed a very small man on a horse, with his green scout hood covering most of his head. You could make out his black hair that came in bangs framing his face. His eyes were completely different from all of the other returnees. 

He looked relatively unbothered, as if this was just an inconvenience to him. You guessed that this isn't the first time he's experienced this much loss, and over time it wouldn't phase him anymore. It's sad, really. You noticed a large, blonde man lean towards him to say something. That must be Erwin Smith, the commander of the scouts. Before you and Mylius optimistically strode over here, you would have liked to meet him and declare your allegiance. But now seemed like the wrong time. The boisterous introduction would have to wait. 

Instead you and your best friend stood in silence, watching the soldiers go down the street until you couldn't see them anymore. The scent of death still lingered in the air. You turned to Mylius, who had one of his hands covering his face. He looked like he was holding in tears.

"Mylius." You said, trying to sound calm. It didn't really work, as your voice cracked in the middle of saying his name. Mylius dropped to his knees without a word, and you crouched next to him.

"I-I can't.. (Y/N), I don't know if we can do this..." He said. "I know we decided we would but that was before-"

"I know." You said, trying to not let the tears escape from your face. "I am also deeply.. disturbed by what we saw here. But it ignited a fire in me. The world needs us now more than ever, Mylius. We have to do this. And I can't do it without you." You said. 

"It's not like I have much of a choice, anyway." Mylius said, forcing a chuckle. "You drag me everywhere, (Y/N)." You punched your friend lightly on the shoulder. Eventually the two of you rose from the ground and headed back to your house on the other side of the city with new resolve. Each step you took felt like a new chapter of your life. You were filled with determination as you turned the corner of your street.

BANG!

The two of you lost your balance, toppling to the ground. Behind you, coming from the outside of Wall Maria, there was the loudest noise you'd ever heard. Billows of steam rushed up from the other side of the wall. You'd never seen anything like this before. Several items were strewn across the street. Who could have thought that one tremor could do this much? You looked backward toward the Wall and saw it. 

A giant red hand.

But that's not all. Behind the hand, something started to move. As it came into view you could see it more clearly. It was a titan. No doubt about it. There was a problem, though. No titan had ever come close to being as tall as the wall, and especially not taller.

You were frozen in place. It was not long before you heard another big crash. This indicated that the gate had just been broken to pieces. Large pieces of rock flung from the crash and destroyed buildings and people. It was when you saw the first titan rear its head from the new hold that you finally gained the strength to move. It was so far away that none of the rocks had come close to you, but you could feel the wind from the impact. 

You scrambled to your feet, desperately clinging to Mylius's arms as you got inside your house, where your mother sat in her usual rocking chair.   
"Honey, what was that? Was someone knocking on the door?" Tears welled up in your eyes. You knew you had to leave, and you knew she wouldn't be able to come with you. She's too weak to move on her own, and you and Mylius simply weren't strong enough to get her out. Not to mention it would be a slim chance even the two of you made it out of Shinganshina alive. You made an executive decision to leave her here. Maybe by some miracle a soldier would be able to save her, but you knew you couldn't do it and have all three of you survive this.

"Yes, mom. It was just the mail." You said, holding back tears.

"Oh, okay. Goodnight, honey." She said, drifting off to sleep before you could respond.

It was a good think Mylius could basically read your mind, because you didn't want to use words. The two of you gathered anything you could, before realizing it was likely you wouldn't be able to bring anything with you, anyway. Your eyes darted to the drawing you had made of yourself as a scout when you were a kid. Something inspired you to rip it off the wall and shove it in your pocket, before grabbing Mylius by the arm and booking it for the evacuation gate. The rest of the next few hours was a blur. You were pushed along with the mass of people onto a ship, where people were so packed that you feared sinking. A few minutes after your ship headed down the river, there was another loud crash and rocks flying everywhere. It was another attack.

You and Mylius didn't exchange any words for hours, only holding onto each other with interlocked arms. You thought your life was changed after walking away from the returning scouts. It turned out you had no idea what was in store for your life.

~

"Here, (Y/N), It's all I could find." Mylius said, handing you a piece of bread in the crowded marketplace. All of the refugees from Wall Maria had fled to Wall Rose, after the Armored and Colossal Titans destroyed the wall. You were feeling weak since you hadn't eaten in days, but your determination was keeping you alive. That, and Mylius's coolheadedness. 

You made the bread last, eating half of it and putting the rest in your pocket. Your hand brushed up against a piece of paper; your fingers unfolded the crumpled drawing of your child self's imagination. But it doesn't have to be just an imagination. You looked up, hoping to find some inspiration within yourself to move forward. In the distance you saw the same small man that you noticed coming in with the scouts on that day, standing on a roof. He was looking at you.

I need to talk to him so that I can register for the scouts! You thought. You nudged Mylius, who was still working on half of his loaf of bread.   
"That man is in the survey corps. Maybe if we talk to him, we can get a leg up!"

"I hate to break it to you, (Y/N), but it's not like people are fighting to be part of the death legion." Mylius said nonchalantly. "Military police are the only sought-after position for a cadet. I'm sure as long as we can barely operate ODM gear, they'd send us out with the scouts no problem."

"Still..." You said, glancing up again to where the man stood. But he was gone. What you hadn't noticed was that he came down and stood not too far away from you and your friend, watching.

"Look, they're taking volunteers right over there for training. Maybe if we do that, we can bypass the physical labor they're making the refugees do." Mylius said, pointing to a corner where a few soldiers stood yelling something you couldn't hear.

"That sounds like a plan, old buddy." You said, trying to lighten the mood. Your friend hadn't cracked the slightest smile since that day. He sighed and pushed off the wall he was leaning on, and the two of you headed over and signed up for military training. The soldiers told you that it starts in a few days, and your anticipation boiled inside you. All that was left was to train hard, and then you'd be able to fight real titans. You could even imagine getting back to your home, if it's not destroyed... 

Your thoughts flashed back to your mother. 

"Oh, okay. Goodnight, honey." was the last thing you ever heard her say. There's no way she got out of Shinganshina alive. Your heartstrings pulled at you, but you had to make a hard call. At least Mylius wasn't holding it over your head.

Suddenly you saw a quick flash of dark green fabric turn a corner down an alleyway. It looked like the man from the scout legion! Mylius was busy talking to a few other new recruits, so you slipped away to follow the man without a word.

Finally you caught up to him, and huffing, you said “Wait!" The man stopped, seemed to hesitate, and then turned around. His facial expression was unreadable. Was that annoyance, perhaps?

While you gathered yourself, you took in his appearance, which you finally got to see up close. His black hair just barely covered parts of his eyes, and he had an undercut style. His thin, gray eyes glared at you, and his folded arms and body language told you he wished you didn't catch up to him. There was something familiar about his eyes that you couldn't place. The man was surprisingly short for how intimidating he looked. You guessed most people were too scared of him to say anything about his height.

Despite his apparent aversion towards you, he was quite attractive. You realized you had been quiet for far too long. 

"What...?" He said in a bored tone.

"You're from the scouts, right?" You said, trying to hide the excitement in your voice.

He avoided looking in your eyes. "That's right."

Hm. Usually someone would follow that up with a question. This guy isn't very conversational. 

"Well," you said, "I'm (Y/L/N)."

He just glared at you. 

"I'm a future scout!" You said saluting with confidence, trying to pull some reaction out of this man.

"Tch." He said, rolling his eyes. That's it.

"Excuse me?" You dropped the salute. "That's what you say? Tch?! Usually when someone tells you their name it's polite to introduce yourself as well. It's a good thing I already have my heart set on the scouts, because any other recruit would be completely turned off by your demeanor!" 

He raised an eyebrow, still glaring.

"And another thing, why don't you talk to me? I'm trying to create some dialogue here, pouring out my intentions as a future soldier, and you just look at me like I'm an idiot. What's all that about? Honestly!" You said, using excessive hand gestures to convey your frustration.

He suddenly looked at you with what you could only guess was intrigue. He extended an arm to you, holding out his hand. 

"Levi." He said. 

In what felt like slow motion, you shook his hand. It was almost like you could feel his strength just from one touch. This man was powerful in more ways than one.

"I'm looking at you like you're an idiot because you are one. A pretty young woman like you doesn't belong in the scout legion."

Did he just call me pretty? Wait, he also called me an idiot. I guess that evens things out. You thought. He let go of your hand and started turning back around.   
"Hey!" You said, a mixture of anger and excitement in your tone. "I'm not done with you. You'll see me again. Just you wait." You continued rattling off similar phrases as he sighed and continued on his way. Once you could no longer see his green cloak, you looked at the hand he just shook.

Levi.

You felt your cheeks heat up, but you couldn't place why. You gently slapped your face with your hands to knock yourself out of your funk.

"(Y/N)! There you are." Mylius said, out of breath. "What are you doing?" 

"I, uh," You stammered a bit. Why am I so nervous? "I chased after that man in the scout uniform. To be honest, he was kind of rude." There's no point in hiding anything from your best friend. 

"Did you catch his name?"

"Levi."

"Just Levi? No last name?” What a jerk. The guy didn't even value you enough to tell you his last name?

"Wait. I've heard the name Levi before. They say he's the strongest and scariest one in the whole legion! Levi... Ackerman, I think. Some of the new recruits were talking about him. He's a captain, you know." Mylius said. 

That guy... was a captain? That explains why he seems to act like he's better than everyone else. Why was he hanging around refugees, though? You'd never get these answers standing in an alleyway. The only way would be to join the scout legion and ask the man himself. For some reason you had the urge to be so successful that you could rub it in Levi's face someday. He told you that you don't belong in the scout legion. Ha!

I'll show him. Just you wait, Levi. 

~

One week has passed since Mylius and you started training for the military. So much has happened in so little time, that sometimes you need to stop to breathe and take it all in.

About two weeks ago, the titans attacked and ransacked Shinganshina, forcing you to leave. you starved for a few days before joining the military, and you successfully survived your first week as a cadet. That's more than you can say for some.

Teens left in droves the first few days of training. The pressure was too much for them, so much so that they'd rather do physical labor instead. The one constant in your life was Mylius. Though, while you're so focused on your self-imposed mission to prove the captain of the scout legion wrong, he's trying to make some new friends, including a beautiful girl named Altiena. He's better at that stuff, anyway, so you just tag along.

Your mind kept dwindling on Levi. The man was so mysterious that you couldn't help but let him occupy your thoughts. It was to a point where it started getting annoying, though. You could swear you started seeing him around the training grounds. You thought the whole time you must be hallucinating, since no one else seemed to acknowledge his presence. You saw him trudging towards you and your friends. Of course, this just happened to be the time you said something.

"Ugh." You scoffed loudly and looked at Mylius as you and some others sat at an outdoor dinner table after a satisfying meal. "I can't get my mind off that jerk, Levi. I'm so mad about it that my brain keeps conjuring images of him all around as if he's just taunting me in my head."

Mylius spun his head around, stopping to widen his eyes. He spoke softly. "(Y/N). You're not imagining things."

You felt the blood drain from your face.

"(L/N)." An authoritative voice said behind you as you tried to not show your face to him.

You shakily raised your arms to salute. "Sir." You said, quietly.

"Captain! My apologies! My friend here seems to be coming down with a fever!" Mylius said, almost yelling in the captain's face. "I must take her to the infirmary, sir! Please excuse us!"

Bless you, Mylius. You are my lifesaver. Mylius grabbed your forearm and started to get up, but Levi waved him down. Sounding as unenthused as possible, he spoke. "It just so happens that I'm headed there right now. Let me."

As quick as the blood drained from your face, it came rushing back in.

"Look at her, she's burning up." The Captain said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

There's no way he doesn't know we're bluffing. You thought.

For the second time since you met him, Levi outstretched his hand towards you. It was impossible to resist at this point; Mylius's brave attempt had not worked.  
You reluctantly put your hand in his, but once you touched it almost felt like there were sparks flying. You noticed the slightest change in his expression for half a second, as well.

Did he feel it too?

He pulled on your arm gently as you got up from the table, following closely behind him as he walked. His hand grasped yours for an unusually long amount of time, before he let go. Your hand felt cold at the absence of his warm skin.

You could no longer see the table of your friends anymore. All in front of you was forest. "Um, sir? I don't think this is the way to the infirmary..." You said to the back of his head.

He spun around violently. "Didn't I tell you my name was Levi?" He said, crossing his arms. He stood unnaturally close to you.

You took a step back. "Yeah, but that was before I knew you were a captain. So, I can't call you that." You averted your eyes from his piercing gaze.  
He took a step forward, making your bodies even closer than they were before.

"I told you to call me Levi. So that's what you'll call me." He said with a commanding tone.

"Y-yes sir- I mean... Levi."

"That's better." His stance relaxed. He brought his hand up to run it through his hair. It's criminal how handsome he looked doing that. You hated that you even had that thought.

"Of course," he sighed, "I can't have you calling me that in front of the other recruits. People might get suspicious."

"Suspicious of what?" You said.

"What?" He said with a dead tone.

"Wha- wait, suspicious of what?" You started getting annoyed.

"I don't know what you're talking about.” This man is infuriating.

"Call me Captain in front of the others. But in private-" He started, but you interrupted him.

"Ok, Levi, what did you want me over here for?"

"It seems your fever has gone away." He said, nonchalantly. Again, the blood rushed into your cheeks.

"Oh, and it's back." You saw a ghost of a smirk grace his lips.

"Stop messing with me!" You said, punching his shoulder.

He stepped back, looked at his shoulder, and then glared at you. "I overheard you talking to your little friends." He said. "Care to explain something to me?"  
"I-I don't know what you're t-talking about." You said, trying to use the same evasion tactic as he did. It clearly didn't work.

"What about me is taunting you?" He said in a lower tone of voice. You felt a shiver up your spine.

"P-probably the face that you're so rude...." You said.

"Now, what did I do that's so rude?" He said, his voice smooth.

"Are you really gonna make me spell it out for you?" You said, taking a step back from him. He folded his arms in expectation.

"Well, first, you barely spoke a word to me." You said.

"I'm talking now, aren't I?" He said, sounding smug.

"Ok, I guess. Also, you called me an idiot."

"Wouldn't it be more rude to lie and say you weren't one?"

You widened your eyes at him in surprise. "Okay, wow, you're really going there." You said. "No, it wouldn't. I don't know if you know this, but generally people don't like to be called idiots." You said, lifting a finger in his face.

He used the back of his hand to push yours away. "Is that all?"

"No," you said, "You also never told me your full name. I told you my first and last name and all you said was 'Levi.'" You said, dropping your tone to mimic his lower voice.

"It's Ackerman." He said, unamused.

"Duh! Of course I know that now." You thought maybe he could have had some reason for not telling you, after all. Maybe he's self-conscious or something. "It's just usually the polite thing to do."

He let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry." He muttered, barely audible.

"What was that?" You said, raising a hand to your ear. Of course you heard him, but you wanted to mess with him too.

He shot you a look. "I. Am. Sorry. Happy?"

"Oh, wow!" You exclaimed, over-enthusiastically raising your hands to your cheeks. "The Levi Ackerman apologized to me! I'm going to have to tell everyone I know!"

Suddenly his hand clamped over your mouth. "Shut up." He said, the faintest of red dusting his pale cheeks.

Ah, so we can embarrass the captain. Duly noted.

You licked his hand and he propelled off of you in horror. "Filthy pig!" He yelled, reeling away from you. He gripped his forearm as if you had just cut off his hand. You couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him. Humanity's strongest soldier, losing it over some saliva. The red on his cheeks grew ever-so-slightly.

"Stop." He said. You didn't stop laughing.

Suddenly you felt a broad blow to your head, landing you on the ground. You rubbed the top of your head and looked up, where the captain held his fist above you. "Hey!!" You said. "What was that for?"

"I told you to stop." He said.

You folded your arms. "I only listen to people with manners."

"You're one to talk." He said. "Your mouth bacteria has sullied my hand."

"Aw, do you need to go to the infirmary?" You said, still chuckling.

"No." He then walked closer to you. You looked up at him and couldn't quite place what his face read… Then he wiped his palm on your shoulder.

"Gee, thanks." You said.

"It was yours to begin with."

You stood up from the ground, patting off grass that had stuck to your behind. You noticed the sun starting to set. You wished the air wasn't so thick with tension, or you'd actually be able to enjoy the beautiful colors of the sky. Levi looked over to the camp, the sun making his skin look golden in its light.

"So, why are you at the training grounds? Don't you have some kind of important scout work to do?" You asked him, genuinely curious.

"I come here to check out the cadets early, to see who would make the best soldiers."

"And has anyone piqued your interest?"

"There might be someone..." He said with an alluring tone. "But that's for me to know."

"Come on.... Levi."

You could tell your use of his first name did something to him. Maybe he's sick of everyone calling him captain. Or just maybe, there's something special about you. But you'd never entertain the thought. That's absurd.

"Nope." Of course it didn't work. He was stubborn as ever.

This was probably the longest conversation you've had with anyone for the past two weeks. Mylius and you know each other so well that it only takes a few words to have an effective conversation, not like you even wanted to talk about everything that happened anyway. But talking to someone new for this long felt exhilarating. There was something different about this than trying to make friends with fellow cadets.

"Well, I'm sure you have important work to do, so I won't keep hindering you, then." You turned on your heel and started off towards the barracks. You didn't get two steps away before the man placed his hand on your shoulder (the one without your saliva on it).

"Wait, I'll walk you." He said.

Well, this is awkward. You thought. You walked beside the captain in complete silence, noticing strange looks from other cadets as you approached the barracks in a few excruciatingly long minutes. You reached the door to the building you were staying in, and came to a stop in front of it.

"Well, this is me." You said. "Thanks, I guess." You looked at him. He almost looked like he was expecting something from you, but his expression shifted soon to one of strict professionalism.

"Get rest." He said. "You'll need it for training tomorrow. Word has it it'll be the worst yet.” Is he being nice to me?

"Thanks for the heads up." You said. Your eyes lingered on each other for a little too long before you awkwardly took a step back towards the cabin. He stood, watching you enter, making sure you got inside. You looked through the window. The man shifted his gaze to his hands, and it looked like he was saying something. Probably about how gross it was that you licked him. Then, he walked away. Some cadets were giving him funny looks and you smirked as he scowled at them, causing them to scramble away.

He may be small, but he's still scary.

Your thoughts dwelled on the conversation you had with Levi. So many emotions went through you, that you couldn't identify a single one of them. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

It swung open to Mylius, who upon locking his eyes with yours, looked relieved. "Oh, good! I went to the infirmary, but you weren't there." He said. "Where did you..."

"Tell you later." You said, nodding over to the other girls in the cabin, who were not necessarily paying attention to you, but who had also undoubtedly noticed that The Levi Ackerman just walked you home. No need to start rumors. Though it was probably too late for that anyways.

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow, (Y/N). Sorry my plan didn't work." He smiled. Seeing your best friend smile warmed your heart.

"No biggie, old buddy. Goodnight." You said.

"Night." He said, closing the door.

You looked over at the group of girls, noticing that Altiena's face was twinged with a blush.

"Woah, Altiena, do you-"

"Ahh!! La la la la la! I can't hear you!" She said cutely, covering her ears with her hands. Her short blonde hair bounced as she shook her head.

"Does someone have a crush??" Another girl said. Ella, you're pretty sure. She scooted closer to Altiena on the floor as she tied her brown hair into a ponytail.

"Isn't it obvious?" The black-haired girl, Silva, said. "We've got a regular budding romance on our hands."

You joined in on the playful teasing, relieved that the conversation revolved around your friends and not the captain. He was still on your mind just as much as before; the difference is now you're even more confused. 

~


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"(Y/N)." The distant voice called again. It sounded even less distinct this time.

You opened your mouth to call out to it, but no sound escaped you. You started to feel a jabbing sensation on your cheek, growing stronger and more annoying. Slowly, you opened your eyes to Altiena standing next to your bed, poking your cheek. Her soft, green eyes looked at you like a mother looked at her children. You swore these strange dreams were getting more realistic.

"(Y/N), it's time to get up." She said quietly, speaking so softly that her voice could have lulled you back to sleep. You would have done so if it weren't for the others in the room making noise. You sat up and stretched your arms, remembering Levi's words last night about today being a tough one. You fixed up your (H/C) hair, taking an extra second to stare yourself down in the bathroom mirror. Your skin almost looked like it was glowing.

The girls started to file out of the cabin, heading towards breakfast. Altiena waited for you, and upon your arrival she snaked her arm to interlock with yours, walking with you to the mess hall. It was nice to have a new friend, especially one who seems so cheery. You bet you could tell why she was feeling that way, though.

"Hey, Altiena?" You said approaching the mess hall.

"Yes?" She said, innocently.

"I'm setting you up with Mylius Thatcher." You say with a smirk.

A blush creeps onto her face, and flustered, she responds. "It's not like that... (Y/N)... I swear."

You raised an eyebrow at her as the two of you got in line for food.

"Fine! You got me! I think I have a crush..."

"Perfect." You said. "Well, sit with me. Mylius and I always sit together, so you can just slide on in on the other side of him!"

Her eyes lit up, and you went to sit down, soon joined by Mylius.

As you scarfed down your breakfast, Mylius became somewhat preoccupied talking to Altiena. This gave you time to let your brain wander, which is exactly what you don't need right now. Whenever you were left to your own devices, your head was occupied by Levi.

You noticed the man in the corner, staring right at you. It was still hard to tell if he was a hallucination or not. You suspicions were dashed when Commander Shadis stopped to talk with him, and his piercing gaze left you. Now that your food was gone, there was no point in staying. You still had about half an hour before training would start, so you wanted to get a bit of warm-up in, especially since today would be difficult. Upon leaving the doorway, you looked up at the expanse ridden with rain clouds. They extended to every corner of the sky. It was likely to rain today, all day. And that didn't mean you get a day off.

You reached the main training ground and sat to work on some stretches, then did a few jogs around. After about 20 minutes, you stopped to drink some water, which you suspected you probably wouldn't have much access to today if your intel was correct. You held out your hand and felt the first raindrop of the day land on your palm. It was soon followed by many more, the rain almost becoming a downpour immediately. You ran for solace under the first overhang you could find, not noticing the other person who was already standing there, completely dry.

"You're filthy." He said. You spun around in shock.

"Oh, Captain, it's just you." You said, placing a hand on your heart in relief. He surely has the most unorthodox greetings. Though you were close to the mess hall, the heavy rain would obstruct your voices enough for no one else to hear you.

"Tch." He said.

"Today is going to suck, isn't it?" You said to no one in particular. You raised your fists to the sky. "Curse you!!" You said, theatrically shaking your hands.  
The man beside you was not amused.

"Yeah." He said. "I was supposed to ride back to HQ today, but I'm not going back in this if I can help it." He grumbled. "All I'd do there is paperwork, anyway."

"I'm not jealous of you." You said, honestly. Who made the call to give humanity's strongest solider heaps of paperwork? He sighed, running his fingers through the front of hair again like he did last evening. Ugh, he's seriously unfairly attractive. You thought. You swiftly slapped yourself in the face to rid your mind of such thoughts.

Levi noticed your strange behavior, but didn't say anything about it. "You should get back to the other cadets," He said. "Shadis won't take it easy just because it's raining."

"Yeah, you're right." You said. "Well, see you later, Levi."

"Bye." He said, again looking like he wanted to say something else. Even if you wanted to know what he was hesitating for, you didn't have the time. Being late was inexcusable for Shadis. You ran back to the mess hall, gathering with your friends until you were all lined up outside. The rain had lightened up a little bit, but there was no sign of it stopping.

From the training ground you could still see the outline of the captain, leaning back against the building, staying dry. Levi's intel was correct, and Shadis pushed all of you farther than he had before. Luckily by this time all of the weak links had been sorted out, leaving no one but soldiers with resolve. You pushed through his hard training for hours on end, remembering how you and Mylius prepared for work like this.

However, it still felt like you were dying and working years of your life away as you did burpees in sets. Once that was done, the commander ordered 20 laps for each cadet, and more if they lagged behind. Luckily you had okay endurance, only starting to feel winded at about 12 laps. It was at this moment that the wet ground cause your foot to slip upon impact, landing you at an awkward angle. Pain shot up from your ankle, but you couldn't let the commander know you're weak. You pushed through, even though you had to do more laps once you lagged behind. You were sure Shadis could tell you were limping, but you weren't about to confess your vulnerability.

Levi was another story. He stood under the overhang, eyes touched with worry as he watched your frame limping across the field. He knew exactly what you were thinking, not wanting to show weakness to the commander, but that doesn't mean he needed to like it. He let you finish your last lap, and then walked out into the rain towards Shadis.

It was a noble feat in itself for him to willingly get his clothes wet, but it was an entirely different story for him to willingly get his clothes wet for someone else. You watched as the small man swiftly walked over to Shadis, saying something into his ear, the commander's eyes locked with yours, and you knew what was happening.

"Cadet (L/N)!" Oh no, he's really going to announce this in front of everyone. The embarrassment consumed you so much that you didn't notice the captain making his way toward you.

"You are relieved of duty today! Do you hear me, cadet?!" He yelled.

"Yes, sir!" You yelled, arms forming in a salute.

Levi reached you and without hesitating, grabbed your arm and started pulling you away from the group, this time actually towards the infirmary.  
You winced with each step, and it didn't take long for him to notice. He stopped, and without a word took you in his arms, carrying you like a bride. If you weren't in so much pain you could have relished in the romance of the situation.

"Idiot." He said, eyes forward.

"Yeah." You said. It was pretty dumb to keep running on a twisted ankle. You decided to stop talking there- you couldn't even muster up the energy for more.  
It was a blur as Levi brought you to one of the nurses on duty, and she tenderly cleaned your ankle of mud and wrapped it up. Seeing as you were half-unconscious at this point, she told Levi you'd need to rest for at least a week before trying walking on it again, and two before you can start running and training again.

Though you were almost asleep, her words made you exclaim in frustration. This might delay your entry into the scout legion! If you had only been more careful out in the field, this wouldn't have to happen. Your vision was hazy as you noticed the captain leave the infirmary, looking frustrated. It was uncommon to see any kind of emotion on his face, so you felt bad about it, like you had done something wrong. But it was foolish to think so. Your injury was just an accident- it was his choice to do something about it.

He returned in a few minutes with some ice wrapped in cloth, sitting down in the chair next to the cot you lay in. He gently set the ice down on your ankle, then sat back in the chair and stared at you with a soft gaze. He wondered why his heart was beating so hard over one random cadet's minor injury. He tried to distract himself, looking around at the other nurses. You wanted to say something to him, but the hard workout from today was catching up to you. You focused on your steady breaths, trying to ignore the pain still running through your body.

He still had a worried look on his face, so you mustered all of your strength to move your hand over to lay on top of his. He looked at you in shock, but he didn't seem angry or annoyed. He welcomed your hand, squeezing it gently in acknowledgement. You let a small smile grace your lips before drifting into a well-deserved sleep, the captain still watching over you.

A few minutes later, your friends came busting into the infirmary, covered in sweat as they had just finished training for the day. They noticed Levi sitting next to you, but he had already removed your hand from his so that no one saw. He lifted a finger to his lips, letting your rowdy friends know you were sleeping.

Mylius, Altiena, Ella, and Silva approached you, hovering over your peacefully sleeping body in the infirmary. Levi took this as his cue to leave, silently slipping away back outside. It was still raining.

I guess I'm staying here a little longer than expected. I can just tell Erwin there were more interesting cadets than we expected, which isn't technically a lie at all. He thought, walking back to the captain's quarters.

He turned on the shower, eager to feel clean again after walking through rain and mud. His thoughts were occupied by you as he went through his nightly routine. To his surprise, he didn't hate it that much how you had taken over his mind. It was better than constantly reliving the deaths of his friends and comrades. You were unlike anyone he'd talked to before, and each time you were apart he couldn't wait to see you again. He rolled over to his side in his bed, clutching the blankets. What is she doing to me? 

~

You woke up in your bed, inside of the girl's cabin in the barracks. You had a few moments of peace before remembering the immense pain coming from your left ankle. It was properly swollen, and you could feel the blood pumping through it. 

"She's awake." You heard Silva whisper, and then someone shuffled behind you. Soon, Altiena stood next to your bed, pressing a bag of ice on your ankle.  
"Good morning!" She said, her cheery disposition seeming almost sickly at this morning hour.

"Good morning...." You mumbled groggily. "Altiena, how did I get back here? Wasn't I just in the infirmary?" You asked. 

"That was last night, already, silly. Captain Levi insisted that he carry you here. No one dared to stop him." She said. Captain Levi... insisted? The two other girls gathered around your bed, smiling for some reason. They looked at each other, and you almost yelled at them to demand what's going on. 

"Happy birthday, (Y/N)!" They all exclaimed at the same time. Your eyes widened. You had completely forgotten that it was today you turned 18 years old. Something as trivial as your birthday was completely out of your mind these past few weeks. 

Mylius must have told them; there's no way he'd ever forget about your birthday. "Guys, thank you," You said, as Altiena leant down to give you a hug. You could tell she was really holding it in beforehand. The embrace felt really nice. It seemed everyone was a little touch-starved nowadays. "This really means a lot to me."

"Sorry your birthday kinda sucks. I mean, you can't even really go anywhere but the bathroom." Silva said. 

"Thanks, Silva, for the nice reminder." You laughed. "I wish I could have at least gone to see the sunset or something. Oh well."

"Sorry, (Y/N)." Said Altiena, her voice muffled as she buried her face in your hair.

"Sadly, we can't stay. I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm jealous of you, getting to lay in bed while we train outside." Ella confessed, tapping Altiena on the shoulder.

"If I could trade places with you I would, Ella. I'm probably the last person here who would actually want to lay in bed all day." You stated as Altiena left your embrace.

"Ugh," Ella groaned, trudging towards the window, looking at the other cadets sleepily leave the barracks. "It's time to go, guys. We should let (Y/N) rest now."  
Altiena backed away, her eyes so full of longing you thought she might cry. At least now that you're bedridden, Mylius will have no choice but to only talk to her. This might actually work in her favor, even though it's clear she's just sad her friend is laying in bed with an injury.

"I'm going to eat lunch super fast so I can come say hi to you, (Y/N)!" She said. "And, I'll bring Mylius!"

"Thanks, Altiena," You said. "You're really too sweet to me.” Your friends bid goodbye to you one by one, each filing out the door, leaving you completely alone.

"That makes me sad," Altiena whined once they had walked a ways away from the cabin. "I know how much she really wants to be here." 

"That's more than you can say for a lot of us." Grumbled Silva, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"Hey, is that Captain Levi?" Exclaimed Ella, squinting at the small man walking towards the barracks.

"Yep. The man himself." Silva remarked, quietly enough so that he didn't hear her.

"Captain!! Captain Levi!" Altiena yelled, jogging towards the man. He looked annoyed, but seeing as he knew she was a friend of (Y/N)'s, he stopped and looked towards the girl.

"Speak quickly." He muttered, sounding as bored as ever. Somehow, Altiena was not put off by his negativity, and continued on with her enthusiasm. 

"Today's (Y/N)'s birthday!" She said. He hesitated, and she noticed the smallest amount of intrigue in his eyes. This told her to keep talking. "She's 18 now, and she's really upset that she's bedridden on her birthday." Altiena pouted her lips.

"Tch. Why should I care?" 

"Well, you helped her yesterday, didn't you? It's obvious you care a little bit." Silva said, catching up to Altiena.

"Whatever." He said. Crap, he thought. I can't let these idiots see through me like this. This is getting out of hand.

"It's a shame we can't even help her see the sunset on her birthday like she wished..." Ella said, exaggerating her sympathy. These girls seem to know how to pity someone into doing something.

"Oh well, I guess she'll just sit in there, all day, all alone..." Silva said, drawing out her words.

"Don't you people need to be somewhere?" Levi scoffed. The girls shuttered a bit at his coldness and hurried off. 

"So? Do you think that did anything?" Altiena asked as the girls walked to the mess hall. 

"Well, I think he's already got a soft spot for her, from what I can tell. I've heard he's one of the hardest people to get along with... and I can see why. For some reason, she's managed to do the impossible and at least scratch the barrier of his cold demeanor. Who knows if it means anything, though. I don't know anything about him other than rumors." Ella said.

"I mean, he carried her off the training grounds yesterday, for the walls' sake." Said Silva. "I think that kind of means something." 

"Well, I don't know. I've heard he's very loyal to his soldiers, so he must just have some kind of protective complex. I don't think it's good to jump to conclusions, especially with people like him." Ella explained. "Plus, he's part of the scouts. There's no guarantee he'll even last a year."

"Ella!" Altiena shrieked, punching the taller girl on the shoulder. "Don't say that! You know the scouts are (Y/N)'s dream!" 

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't be worried for her. I'm lucky if I can just get into the garrison."

"(Y/N)'s strong." Silva said as they walked through the door of the mess. "They say the captain is humanity's strongest soldier, too. So I wouldn't waste too much time worrying about them."

Their conversation shifted once they all sat down and met up with Mylius, informing him of your condition. Many flirtatious looks were exchanged between him and Altiena, and it would continue to be like that for the rest of the morning.

~

Levi felt even more conflicted now than when he had left his quarters this morning. He felt uncomfortable knowing that three cadets were onto him, seemingly knowing things about himself that even he didn't know. He mentally cursed himself as he approached the door to your cabin, and ignored every inner voice in his head as he balled his hand in a fist, reaching it up to knock on the door.

After a few seconds he heard a loud thump. Throwing caution to the wind, he swung the door open, revealing you laying in a heap on the floor. 

"What are you doing?" He said, fighting the urge to act as your knight in shining armor. It's good for her to be able to take care of herself, even if it was just an accident, he told himself. It was his superior officer voice talking. 

"Oh! Good morning, cap-uh... Levi. I'm just... ch-checking under my bed for dust bunnies." You said, trying to come up with some excuse as to why you thought you could get out of bed and walk to the door. "All clean." You said, flashing him a smile.

The slightest look of delight flared up in his eyes at the mere thought of you caring about cleanliness. Too bad it was a flat-out lie. After watching you struggle to get back on the bed for about a minute, the captain started feeling really awkward. He decided him helping couldn't hurt. 

He put his arms around you almost exactly like he had the evening before, but his touch only lasted for the amount of time it took to lift you back onto the bed, which only took a few seconds.

"Thanks." You muttered. He looked at your ankle and adjusted the bag of ice that had also been displaced. 

"Levi?" You asked. His head snapped to attention. "Is there a reason you came here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He said. "You're injured."

"My, my, I didn't know you were such a caring commanding officer!" You teased. "Do all the scouts get to feel this special when they're bedridden?" You managed to make his cheeks a little bit redder. It was especially noticeable since his skin was so fair. This pleased you.

He looked away. "N-no." Did he just stutter? Because of something I said? Inside, you were having a party, but you couldn't let him know that. You just smiled at him sweetly. "I came to give you some good news." He said.

"And what's that?" You inquired. 

"Once you're healed, you'll accompany me to the scout legion." 

What?

"Wait, but I haven't even mastered the ODM gear yet. All I know is how to balance with it..." You said. "And don't I need, like, way more training to even get to the level of a soldier?" You shot up in the bed, causing Levi to lurch forward in case you jostled yourself too much.

"Your training will be completed under my personal supervision at the Survey Corps headquarters. And you've proven you're more than physically capable enough to keep up with any scout soldier in our ranks. All you need to do is accept the offer." He said calmly.

"Hold on." You said, wanting to get your bearings. So much had happened in so little time. In a few weeks you could be heading off to join the scout legion, which had only been a figment of your imagination not even a month ago. Things seemed to be moving a little too fast. If you leave training now, you'd have to leave Mylius behind, not to mention the new friends you've made. But if you go with Levi, you can fulfill your dream in record time.

"I-I need a bit of time to decide." You stammered. 

"You have until your ankle is healed." The captain said. "Don't take this lightly, cadet. What I'm offering doesn't extend to just anyone. I have no problem with you taking your time to think about it." He spoke with conviction, but also with an edge of sympathy, as if he were wanting to comfort you. He must know you don't want to leave your friends.

"Don't worry, I'll probably deliberate over this for every waking moment." You confessed honestly. It was then that you noticed something he was clutching in his lap. "What's that?" You said, pointing to it.

He lifted his arms, revealing a book with a beautiful leather cover. "I didn't want your brain to turn to mush so I brought you some light reading." He said in a monotone. He always found a way to make nice gestures seem mean-spirited, but you could tell his heart was in the right place. He handed you the book, and you stared at the cover. 

You eyes filled with realization as soon as you read the title. "Levi..." you said, dramatically pausing. "You read... romance novels?" You said, looking up at him.  
He lifted his pale fingers to cover part of his face, making the stark contrast between his hands and the changing color of his cheeks even more apparent. He glared down at you. 

"Is that a problem, cadet?" He hissed. 

"Nope, not at all." You almost squeaked, returning your eyes to the book. "You just don't really strike me as that kind of man, after all."

"What kind of man do I strike you as, then?" He inquired, leaning forward slightly. Confident Levi is back.

"I don't know, I kind of thought you'd read history books or something. Or math."

Levi suppressed a chuckle. "Who reads math books?"

"I don't know, I've never come across a person like that. But I haven't met anyone quite like you, either." You stated. "You're truly a wild card, Levi. Ever full of surprises."

"Hm." He huffed.

The silence between the two of you lasted uncomfortably long. You looked around the room, and had realized that you'd never been in it when it was lit up and empty before. Sunlight shone through the few windows, landing on Levi's face artistically. He stared out the window, so that gave you the chance to admire his features without his knowing gaze.

The image of his sculpted figure burned itself in your brain. If you had the resources to paint, all of the artistic talent in the world couldn't converge to replicate his natural beauty. It was rare you'd see a man and describe him as beautiful, but right now in this moment that's the most obvious word choice.

The man sighed, folded his arms and leaned back in the chair. He let his eyes close. You'd never seen him this at peace. You guessed that it's not often he gets a break, being a captain and all. Even though he looked peaceful compared to his regular expression, if you held him up to anyone else he'd still look like he was ready to punch someone in the face. You couldn't help but crack a goofy smile. The captain had shown more warmth to you than you had expected him to. 

"Enjoying the view?" He mumbled, keeping his eyes closed. 

"I-I wasn't staring at you, I swear!" You stuttered, suddenly embarrassed at the realization that he could tell the whole time.

"I'm talking about the window, idiot." He opened his eyes and lifted a brow at you. 

"Oh," you said, still unsure how to feel. "Well honestly, no. I can't really see anything out of it." 

"Shame." He muttered. 

Thanks for the sympathy, Levi. You thought.

He started to stand. "Hey, Levi?" He looked down at you. "I.. uh.. need help getting to the restroom."

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine." 

He helped you out of bed, placing his hands around your waist in order to stabilize you. Once you were standing on one leg, He wrapped your arm over his broad shoulders, keeping his other arm around your waist. He helped you walk over to the bathroom, only to let you go and hop over on one leg to relieve yourself.  
While you were in the bathroom, you took the opportunity to wash your face and brush your teeth. Feeling refreshed, you opened up the door again. Levi stood to attention once you had done so. 

"You took so long, I thought you fell in." He said. 

This made you burst into laughter. "And if I had? You wouldn't try to come in and save me?" You said between giggles.

"No, you'd deserve it." He stated plainly, taking your arm and slinging it around him once again. He lead you to your bed, where he gently helped you get back on it. Once you were settled, he headed towards the door. 

"I'll be back later." He said. "Fifteen minutes before sunset." He turned the doorknob and opened the door a crack. 

"Levi," You blurted out. "Thanks, for everything." He simply grunted in response. You could have sworn he had the slightest smile on his lips as he left the cabin, closing the door softly behind him. You sighed, feeling the tension release from your chest. You wondered why being with Levi made your body feel so... weird. Maybe you'll find out if you just spend more time with him. Only time will tell.

~

"(Y/N)!!!" Altiena came barreling through the door, Ella, Silva, and Mylius trailing behind her. She practically flopped onto your stomach, practically knocking the wind out of you. "I missed you!" She wailed. You patted her head and looked at your other friends. They all had somewhat apologetic smiles.

"Hi guys," you said, "Shadis working you hard today?"

Mylius groaned. "You know it. Happy Birthday, by the way. I didn't even get to see you this morning."

"Ah, well, I still got a warm birthday good morning from this lot." You gestured to the three girls, Altiena's face still buried in your lap.

Mylius held a plate of food in his hand. And it was a good thing, too, since it felt like your stomach was about to digest itself. You hadn't eaten since yesterday.  
"Here." He set it down on your lap.

"Thanks, Mylius."

"Sorry, (Y/N), but Shadis asked us three to help him with something, so we have to go." Ella said. Altiena whimpered in dismay. She looked up at you, her striking green eyes shining. She took one of your hands in hers, and whispered.

"I will be back for you, my dear friend." You giggled at her dramatics. Silva shut the door behind the three, and then it was just you and Mylius. You hadn't been able to talk to him one-on-one in a while.

"I wish I could have gotten you a gift or something, but I couldn't think of what to do with everything that's happening, and-"

"It's fine, Mylius. You don't need to get me anything. Your friendship is enough for me. Plus, you brought me food and I know you told the others that it was my birthday today. Believe it or not, I actually forgot about it."

He laughed. "I figured. Usually you get hyped up for at least a week beforehand."

Every time one of you mentioned life before the titans attacked, a melancholy state filled whatever space you were in. The only thing that can fix it is a change in subject.

"What's that?" Mylius indicated, pointing to the book Levi lent you.

"Oh, Captain Levi came over here to check on me, and he said he didn't want my brain to turn to mush so he gave me this." You giggled, remembering his reaction when you were surprised at his enjoyment of romance novels. "Here, look at the title."

Mylius squinted at it and then his lips curled into a smile. "Wait, he gave you a romance novel?" He laughed boisterously. "That seems really out of character!"

"I know, right? I couldn't believe it."

The two of you laughed for a while, enjoying each other's company.

"Mylius?"

"Yeah, (Y/N)?"

"Well, Levi didn't come over here just to give me a book. He said he had a special offer for me if I were to take it."

Mylius's expression changed to that of a serious one. "What kind of offer?"

You took a deep breath. "He said that once my ankle is better I can come with him to join the scouts early and finish my training there."

Mylius looked down. You were unsure what to make of his reaction. "And what did you say?"

"Well, I told him I need time to think about it. I don't really want to leave you guys, but I've been given this insane opportunity..."

"I don't want you to leave either," he breathed, "but I would support you one-hundred-percent if you felt you had to go, too. Plus, I wouldn't be too lonely. We've got some more friends under our belts now."

"Oh, I can see that," you chuckled. "I've been noticing you and a certain blonde girl getting very close recently..." his cheeks dusted with pink at the mention of his crush. That's good enough confirmation for you. Knowing that your friends would be okay without you only made the decision harder.

"Besides," Mylius sighed. "You know I'd be right behind you as soon as I graduate.” You smiled. At least that's one thing you could definitely count on.

"I am worried about that captain, though. He's so... unapproachable. Do you think you'd keep your sanity working under him all the time without me?" Mylius asked.

"You know, I think he's actually a lot kinder than he comes off initially. His words and his facial expressions tell me that he doesn't care about anyone but himself, but his actions speak otherwise. I mean, the guy's a clean freak and he walked through the mud to bring me to the infirmary."

"Yeah, I hope you're right." Mylius glanced at the clock on the wall. "Shoot, I have to get back. I have a feeling Shadis is going to keep us training into the night today, so none of us can hang out with you till then. Altiena told me you wanted to see the sunset..."

"Yeah, that's fine." You said. "I, uh, think I'm going to get to see it anyway."

Mylius raised an eyebrow. "Levi?"

"Levi." You murmured. 

He jabbed a finger on your cheek as he stood up. "We are definitely talking about this when I get back."

"No doubt, old buddy." You smiled.

You were once again alone in the quiet cabin. In order to stop the millions of thoughts in your head from giving you a headache, you decided to pick up the book Levi gave to you that morning. The book had a sweet story at first. A beautiful woman starts to notice her faithful farm boy, who's always there for her. Eventually they fall in love and plan to marry. But in order to make a living for themselves, the farm boy has to leave to make some money. On his way his ship was attacked by pirates and he was killed, leaving the woman in despair. The story ensued with tons of interesting characters and crazy twists.

The tale was thrilling, and you had gotten about halfway into it when you noticed Levi would be showing up in about five minutes. It was hard to put the book down, but you managed to get up and hop on one foot all the way to the bathroom, which took much longer without Levi's help. You brushed your hair and looked at yourself in the mirror. 

"You're 18 now." You said to your reflection. You still felt so young, but you were far from the youngest cadet here. You took a deep breath and opened the door of the restroom. Levi was already standing above your bed, noticing the way you had left the book turned over and open on the sheets. 

His eyes turned toward you. "You're late."

"Whatever." You started to hop toward him, but he quickly came to your side and stabilized you. The feeling of his strong hands on your waist made your insides melt. He helped you walk to the door, and the two of you came out of the cabin. 

After about a minute of your slow limping across the barracks grounds, Levi became impatient. He quite literally swept you off your feet, again holding you in his arms as he had so often done before. 

You couldn't help the blush from creeping onto your face. "Levi..." You muttered. "Why do keep carrying me?"

"You're too slow." He complained. "It's much more efficient to just let me do all the work."

You were impressed at his strength as he made his way up a small hill, eventually setting you down on the grass, facing toward the sunset. You could also see the whole training ground from here, which included the likes of your friends running laps. They were as small as ants, and you could bet they couldn't see the two of you on this hill. Not like they'd even have time to look around. 

The sky was painted with vibrant reds and oranges, and above that rich hues of blue and purple. You were glad it rained yesterday and not today. This view was all you could ask for for your 18th birthday. Tears started to form in your eyes, as the culmination of all the loss you'd experienced, but also the unexpected joy you found in your new experiences, your new friends, and of course the kindness of the captain. Despite the gorgeous display of nature before him, Levi's gaze seemed fixed on you. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He said with a smooth voice. You had never heard it sound so soothing before.

"Yeah." You said, admiring the colors before you. Your hands were mere centimeters away from each other on the grass. A cool breeze blew past, and you scooted a little bit closer to Levi. He tensed up, but didn't move away. "It's better than I remember it being."

You listened to his steady breaths, slightly feeling the rise and fall of his chest on the back of your shoulder. On the inside, he was spiraling, his heart beating intensely as the result of your close proximity to each other. But he remained as calm as ever on the outside. 

"Hey, Levi?" You said, not taking your eyes off of the sunset that would end in a few minutes.

"Hm?"

"The first time we talked, you say that I wasn't fit to be a scout. But now, just a couple of weeks later, you're offering me advanced access to it. I guess I'm just a little confused. Why did you say that the first time we met?"

He was silent for a while, probably thinking of the best way to word his thoughts. 

"I misjudged you." He said, simply. He sighed. "I saw an optimistic young woman who was naive enough to think that the scout legion was a legitimate future. I noticed you were... conventionally attractive... and I thought there were better options for you than throwing your life into a titan's mouth, is all."

"What was that part about being 'conventionally attractive?'" You smirked.

"Don't pry at me."

"Alright, alright. So what changed?"

His eyes relaxed as he watched the sun disappear over the horizon. "Well, I saw you start training, and you've had the most improvement and dedication over anyone here. You're a natural at leadership, morale, and discipline. It's a marvel the MPs haven't tried to start fraternizing with you already. There's only so much more improvement you can get here; it would be a waste of your abilities to not use you in our ranks as soon as possible." He paused. "It's rare there's ever a great soldier such as you who's willing to join the scouts."

"Well, I mean, the scouts have you, 'humanity's strongest soldier,'" You emphasized his given title. He scoffed. 

"I didn't join willingly."

"What?"

"I'll tell you some other time. That's not exactly my favorite subject." He said. You decided not to push it. "Basically, you piqued my interest. What exactly makes you so determined to join the scouts?"

"Hm..." You had to think about this one. "I'd always had the thought in my head that I'd join the scouts someday..." Your mind drifted to the childhood drawing of yourself, and your hand instinctively shot to your pocket, where you felt the familiar crumpled paper. You held it out, gently unfolding it in your hands and giving it to Levi, who handled it like you had just given him a baby lamb to hold.

He stared at the drawing, and you continued. "When I was a kid, I heard stories of the flying scouts, and I wanted to be just like them. That, and I was always fascinated with the titans and why they're here, so joining the scout legion would give me the chance to study them up close. That's basically how I felt for most of my life."

"But when the wall was broken through in my hometown..." You said. "My determination didn't go away, it just changed. It went from innocent curiosity to a sense of duty, almost... I lost my mother in the attack."

"I'm sorry." Levi said, genuine sympathy in his voice. 

"No, you don't need to be. I honestly have a lot of mixed feelings about my mother. She was sick and barely there for most of my life... she felt more like a distant aunt than my actual mother. I'd basically been raised by Mylius's parents, which is why the two of us are so close."

"I always wondered why that annoying brat keeps following you around." Levi said.

"Hey! That annoying brat is my best friend!" You leaned over and pushed Levi, causing him to have to stabilize himself. You noticed him suppressing a laugh. However, he couldn't keep the smile from coming out. You weren't about to waste this opportunity to embarrass him. 

"Woah! Is that what I think it is? Is The Levi Ackerman smiling??" You teased, leaning closer to him. His cheeks deepened in color, and you took this as confirmation that your taunting had worked.

"Shut up." He muttered as he pushed you away. His smile disappeared as soon as it came.

You laughed for a while as he hid his face from you. "Anyway..." you said after calming down. "You can guess that the main reason I wouldn't want to leave here is because of him. Mylius and I have done everything together. We promised to go to the scouts with each other."

"Hm." Levi said, still clearly mad at you. "Talk to him about it, then."

"Well, I actually did already. But he said he would support me either way. So that doesn't really help me make a decision, because I still haven't decided if I want to leave him and the others."

"Well, you know what I think. I would be honored to have you under my command. Maybe even in my squad, if you prove yourself worthy enough." He said. You could tell it was paining him to say this many nice sentiments in one sitting. 

"I just need more time."

"I think you'll have plenty of time to think about it while you're recovering."

The two of you fell into comfortable silence for the first time you'd ever been with each other alone. Despite your first encounter with Levi, he was one of the most comforting people to be around. You felt as if no one could touch you when you were with him. His presence radiated strength and confidence. 

After a while you spoke. "Thanks, Levi. This birthday kind of sucked, but you made it a lot better than it would have been.” He didn't say anything in response, but he leaned a little bit closer to you, and your fingertips brushed against each other on the grass.

You could have stayed like that for hours if you didn't have to get back to the barracks. Sadly, life is unfair and Levi eventually gathered you up and carried you back, just before all of the cadets would have returned and witnessed the two of you having an unintentional romantic moment. You wondered if there could be something there... but you brushed away the thought. No need to start distracting yourself with that kind of thing. You have more important things to deliberate about, like whether or not you'll take up his offer. 

Your friends had not returned, and it was getting pretty late already. Your mind was full of moments from tonight as you drifted off into sleep.

~


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Your friends finally got to have a day off of training, which meant everyone was paying a lot more attention to you. For the past week, Levi visited you frequently, sometimes supplying you with a new book to read. His taste in literature still baffled you, but you weren't complaining. Your ankle started to feel a lot better, but the nurse told you not to walk on it quite yet, so you still asked your friends for help getting around the place.

You were having a nice chat with the girls when there was a knock at the door. Altiena scrambled to her feet and skipped over to it, swinging the door open to reveal Mylius. He locked eyes with you and pointed a finger in your direction, as if speaking directly into your mind.

We are talking now, You imagined him saying. You just raised your eyebrows and nodded, then lifted your arms up in the air to indicate that you needed help moving. He came to your aid and helped you out the door and over to a secluded picnic table. Most of the other cadets were sleeping in today, but some were still out doing light exercises or talking to each other. It seemed people were in higher spirits today. Good for them.

"So..." Mylius sat across from you, folding his fingers together and dramatically placing his arms on the table. "What is the deal with you?"

You played dumb. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, you know." Who am I kidding? You thought. Mylius can read me like a book.

"Fine..." You let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't think there's any 'deal,' but I will agree with you that things have been different recently. And I mean on top of all the other drastic changes we've been going through."

"Yeah. So, let me know what's going on, okay? I know you might be leaving soon, but that doesn't mean I get pushed out of your life. I expect regular letter-writing when you're playing with the big kids in the scout legion." Mylius said, already planning on your decision having been made.

"It's not like I've made a decision yet. I still have until my injury is healed. I just find it really hard to concentrate when all my thoughts are consumed by the captain."

"Oooh~" Mylius purred in a singsongy voice. "Does someone have the hots for the captain?"

He expected you to immediately argue with him, but to his surprise, you remained quiet and pensive. "Would it be impossible to believe it if I did?"

"WHAT?" Mylius practically screamed, almost jumping off the bench. "Uh, kinda, but also... not really? You have been spending a lot of time with him recently... and there's the fact that he's a jerk to literally everyone except you..."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"He acts like no one is worth his time. The only person he pays any attention to other than Commander Shadis is you."

The reality hit you like a ton of bricks. Now that he mentioned it, it did seem a little odd that he was seemingly uncharacteristically caring toward you.  
"What should I do?"

"If you're asking for my blessing, then you have it." Mylius announced. "He's obviously attracted to you in some way, or he wouldn't be acting the way he does."  
Is he really being that obvious? Can everyone tell?

"However, you've only known him a couple weeks. If I were you I'd wait until he makes a real move. That way you're sure you're not misconstruing his intentions."

"Is that the logic you're operating under with Altiena?" You tried to shift the conversation off of yourself.

He hesitated. "We're not going to talk about that right now, (Y/N). You know I like to take my time."

"Ok, whatever you want to do." You raised your hands in the air in a surrendering position.

You kept chatting with your best friend for a while, happy that the two of you had time to still talk to each other even though he was busy with training.

"Hey, (Y/N)?" He said as he helped you stand from the table.

"Yeah?"

"I'm proud of you. Don't forget that."

You smiled. "I wouldn't dare."

The evening was filled with your friends telling you all about their weeks. You couldn't help but wonder where the captain was all day. For all you know, he could have forgotten about his offer and took off for the scout headquarters. But something told you that wasn't likely. You thought more about going with him to the Survey Corps. Now that you've talked to your friends about it in excess, you feel a little more equipped to make a decision. Altiena would surely shed her fair share of tears- enough to cover for the others, in fact.

You just wanted some kind of uninvolved third party to walk up to you and tell you what to do. Decision making is too hard. If you leave, you'd have to leave your friends behind. You'd probably be able to visit them once in a while, but it wouldn't be anything like the experiences you'd have training together if you stayed.

Despite Levi's vote of confidence, you didn't know if you could really live up to his expectations of you. It wasn't a shock to you to be told that you were one of the best among your peers- you had the skills coming in and the mindset to keep you going. But you still didn't feel like you were 'scout material' yet, whatever that means. But if you do go with him, there's no telling what kind of amazing opportunities would be in store for you. You would get to learn about the titans first hand, and train directly under some of the best soldiers in existence.

You'd get to live the dream you had since you were a child. This is exactly the reason why you joined the military, and now the opportunity has been laid out to you on a silver platter. Who knows the interesting people you'll meet and the crazy missions you'll go on- all while skipping the preceding the 3-year long training. And of course, there was a bonus. You'd undoubtedly get to spend more time with Levi. Your friends would probably tell you that's a lot more than just a bonus, but you'd never admit it.

Your mind was almost made up at this point, so you made yourself forget about the subject for now so that you could just enjoy the company of your friends. You talked and played games together well into the night. You wondered how long it would take for you to get another opportunity like this to spend time with them.

-

Levi stood in his quarters, staring at the crumpled drawing in his hand as if it were a piece of sacred Renaissance art. The crude image depicted a young girl with (H/C) hair, and she sported an impressively detailed scout's uniform, 'wings of freedom' and all. Suddenly a knock was heard on his door. He set the paper down and answered, opening the door just a crack.

"Captain Levi! Mail from Survey Corps Headquarters!" The young man yelled, handing Levi an envelope. Levi didn't bother thanking the man, and he shut his door. He pulled out the wooden chair of his desk and sat down, taking his time to open the envelope. Smoothing out the creases on it, he started reading:

Levi,

How are things going at the training grounds? Any developments with cadet (L/N)? Did she make a decision yet? We've received your reports on the other promising recruits as well. We're having lots of fun over here, running around like chickens with their heads cut off because of the whole Shinganshina ordeal.

Things are so rowdy here without your doom & gloom. I've taken to telling Erwin all about my newest studies, but when he yells at me to leave I actually have to listen to him. Unlike you, Shorty. I need you back here so I don't go insane.

We miss you!!  
-Four Eyes

Under the signature, there was a sloppy drawing of a woman with a ponytail and glasses, giving a thumbs up.  
Hanji, you idiot. Levi thought. He sighed and pulled out a clean piece of parchment, and readied his pen for writing.

Hanji,

Things are fine. Cadet (L/N) is still deciding, but I have a feeling she'll figure it out soon. Stop annoying the Commander. Torture Oluo or something.  
And don't call me short in writing; I can't punch you through paper.

-Levi

He sealed the note in a new envelope, addressed it and set it on his desk. Today was the only day that he hadn't gone to see (Y/N). He didn't want to since he knew she'd be flooded by the other cadets since they all had the day off. He spent the day reading and drinking tea, giving himself a vacation as well.

He had just finished the most recent book, and decided that he would lend it to (Y/N). He had checked with the nurse who had also been taking note on your conditions, and she predicted you'd be healed up in a week. That meant one more week free from Hanji talking his ear off.

But it's not like you were much of a change. He'd noticed you were considerably more comfortable around him as he's been regularly visiting and spending time with you. You could talk for hours on end, and he barely even needed to say anything. That was kind of the ideal relationship for him anyway. That's probably why he has such a high tolerance for Hanji.

He sighed and flopped onto his bed, which he rarely even used. Most days he just slept sitting at his desk, and that's how it has been for a long time. Your existence managed to make his sleep schedule even more irregular than it already was. He was really starting to get annoyed with all the new things he was feeling. But he also couldn't stop himself from spending more time with you. He hoped you would make a decision on his offer soon, as if your answer would alleviate some of his stress as well.

Tomorrow he would go to you again, with the excuse of dropping off a book for you. However, since he spent so much time talking to you, the pile of books kept growing next to her bed, unread.

According to the nurse, tomorrow you should be okay to start walking around on your own, but not able to run or train yet. It made Levi slightly disappointed that you wouldn't need to call upon his services to get around. He got some satisfaction from helping you out, and being so close to you made his stomach feel weird. Levi put his head in his hands, rolling over on the bed. He tried to quiet his thoughts as he drifted into a light sleep, which would surely be interrupted several times throughout the night.

~

Levi awoke before dawn with a massive headache. Nothing new there. He decided there was no point in trying to go back to sleep, so he decided to wake up.  
The best way to start the day was to drink a cup of fresh black tea, so that's exactly what he did. He stood under the overhang of his personal cabin overlooking the training grounds, just like the day you had twisted your ankle in the rain. A few cadets followed your example and tried to get up early to start doing warmup exercises before Shadis called everyone together. Even though you weren't out on the field with them, you were still a big influence on the others.

He noticed this as he watched the recruits start their training for the day. Sometimes a group of them would run across a problem, look at each other and say "What would (Y/N) do here?" If that wasn't a testament to your character he didn't know what was.

After a morning of doing what he's actually at the training grounds to do for his job, he decided to go visit you, making sure to bring along the book he just finished. As he walked he noticed he's felt strangely happier during the past week. He chalked it up to not having to deal with his regular work back at HQ.

He knocked twice on your door, waited for your faint "Come in," and then entered, seeing you standing in front of the door. He resisted the urge to put his arms around you in case you lost your balance, but then he remembered it was ok for you to put some weight on your leg now.

You limped back to your bed as he closed the door.

"Hi." He said.

"Good afternoon, Captain." you said. He looked confused, probably wondering why you chose to use his honorific. It was because you were trying to get yourself more used to the prospect of him being your direct commander in the near future, but you hadn't told him that yet.

"I want to go on a hike." You blurted.

"No." Said Levi.

"Oh, come on. I've barely left this stupid room for days."

"You only just started walking. Maybe in a few days. I'll check with the nurse for you."

You smiled. "How did I get so lucky? The captain of the scout regiment is taking care of me..."

He ignored your comment, instead looking down in his hands, where he held another book intended for you. "Here." He extended his arm to you with the book. Your fingertips brushed as you took it from him, and read the cover. It was another romance novel, of course. A good one to add to the pile you had been collecting.  
In turn, you retrieved the two you were able to finish and handed them back to him. Levi was like your own personal library, which only gave you the most amazing and compelling stories to read.

"How did you like them?" He inquired.

The two of you spent a few hours discussing the two books, talking about the characters and the challenges they had to face. Levi had a surprising amount of opinions on the workings of love in these kinds of books. He saw it more as an action than a feeling, and felt that the characters only really fell in love when they started actively caring about each other, rather than 'falling in love' at quick first glances.

"So you don't believe in love at first sight?" you asked him.

"I think that a moment like that can lead to love." He paused. "Think of it this way. Someone can have a natural affinity for something, like combat or even qualities like leadership, but it takes time and effort to develop those things, and once they're developed they become actually skilled with the subject matter."

His eyes shone with passion. "It's the same way for love. Two people can glance at each other by chance, but only if they act on the feelings can it really come true. And this can be applicable when two people seem to stop loving each other, too. You'll see them stop making an effort to do things for each other. They stop talking and spending time with each other, and then they just grow completely apart."

You absolutely loved when he started getting passionate about what he was talking about. It wasn't often he spoke like this, full of emotion and heart. Levi was a wise man, and it was clear he didn't get into these deep conversations often. You had never heard his voice sound so enthused.

"You sound like you really know what you're talking about." You added, just content listening to him talk for once instead of you.

"I always know what I'm talking about." He said with a smirk. He had been doing that a lot more recently as well. A smirk wasn't as pure as when he smiled genuinely, but it was still special for you to see on him.

"Of course you do." You started to get up off the bed, and you saw him tense up at your movement again. He was acting like you were a porcelain doll who would shatter at the slightest of stumbles. It was nice that he cared so much, but you also wanted him to realize that you weren't weak. You refused his help whenever you could.

"Can we go for a walk?" You asked him.

"Can you?" He said, raising his brows and cocking his head to the side.

"I could at least last for about an hour, I think." You said. "Please, Levi... I'll go out by myself either way if you don't come with."

"Alright, let's go." He stood up, rolling his eyes. You thought it would've taken more convincing.

The two of you walked all around anywhere that was flat ground; Levi made sure you didn't work yourself too hard. Though a little while ago you might have avoided walking near the other cadets, by this time everyone knew that the captain was watching over you, so you had no qualms being seen with him and watching your friends train Their faces lit up when they saw you, and you noticed them gain a burst of energy when you came by. There were still a lot of suspicious faces when people noticed that Levi was practically glued to your side, but he didn't seem to care; his focus was only on you.

You waved at your friends, and after about an hour, it became time for dinner. You were excited to finally come back to the mess hall after being absent for so long; you had counted on Mylius bringing you your dinner each evening. You were sure Mylius would be happy that you got to join him and the rest of your friends again.

Levi accompanied you as you gathered your dinner, but he seemed to disappear when you headed to the table with your friends. You assumed he probably wanted some alone time. He had only had a few conversations with your friends in passing, and come to think of it, he mostly avoided them. It was probably hard enough to get close with one person; you didn't want to push him out of his comfort zone. Besides, you'd have enough time in the future to hang out with Levi.

"Yaaaay!" exclaimed Altiena, who was sitting next to Mylius. You sat on the other side of him, across from Ella and Silva. "(Y/N)'s back!!"

"Hey, good to see you're doing better." Ella remarked.

Mylius laughed. "Finally, I don't have to keep bringing your food to you like a servant every day." 

"Glad to be back, guys." You said, digging into your plate of warm food.

Silva cleared her throat after a few minutes of you all silently and blissfully enjoying your dinners. "I believe some explanation is in order, (Y/N)." She slammed her hands on the table, looming over it. "Did you fake your injury so that the captain would devote his heart to you?"

You couldn't help the deep red spreading across your cheeks. You almost choked on your food.

"Silva!" Mylius hissed.

You managed to compose yourself. "Of course I'm not faking it. You know how much I want to be out there with all of you."

"Yeah, it was a test." Silva confessed, leaning backwards, proud of herself. "You passed."

"It's not like you'll be out here with us anymore, though, if you take the offer for the scouts." Said Ella, trying to sound unbiased. You knew your friends supported whatever decision you made, but that doesn't mean they have to be excited to let you go. You thought it would be a good idea to tell them you had made up your mind.

"About that..." You started. All of your friends listened intently. "I'm going to tell Captain Levi that I'll take him up on his offer. But, only if I am promised materials to be able to write to you all. That's my one condition."

"(Y/N)..." Altiena whimpered, her eyes watery. "You're such a good friend!" She almost punched Mylius in the face as she reached over his lap to embrace you. Mylius just backed away as far as he could while she hugged you tight. You would miss her abrupt hugs.

"I'll tell the captain later this week. I think I want to keep him under my thumb a little bit longer. It feels nice having some kind of control over a superior officer." You said with a smug smile. Your friends chuckled.

"Relish in that while you can, (Y/N)." Silva said. "That probably won't last. I imagine his training regiment might be even tougher than ole' Shadis's."

"Yeah, I don't envy what that guy might have in store. He's so mysterious..." Ella said, looking over her shoulder as if he would pop out of no where like a ghost.

"Well, now, guys, we have seen nothing out of him but kindness toward our girl, right?" Mylius said. "He might not be nice to anyone else, but the way he acts around (Y/N) says something about him, right?"

"Yeah, we just don't know what the something is." Said Silva.

You doubted anyone knew what the something was, not even you nor Levi himself.

~

"(Y/N)." You heard the same distant haunting voice call to you from the void. All around you was darkness, and your body felt heavy. You felt the urge to call back to the voice, but you were too weak to do it. 

"(Y/N)!" This was just the routine now. The voice became more desperate as it became more distant. But it seemed a little bit different this time. You could tell it was farther away, but it became more distinct, almost like a voice you've heard before. The combination of colors that you regularly saw suddenly materialized in front of you, but this time it seemed to be taking a more structured shape than it ever had before. It was still too hard to make anything out of it.

"(Y/N)!" This was new. It sounded extremely close to you, and your body started feeling a bit lighter now. The form was now practically on top of you. The sound surrounded your whole body. This voice.... it almost sounded like...

"(Y/N)! Wake up! What is going on with you?" You abruptly awoke to the captain hovering above you, his hands shaking you by your shoulders. He looked worried. He calmed down a little bit once he realized you were awake now, but he didn't move from his position. 

"Good morning, Levi.." You mumbled sluggishly.

"Tch." He said. "It's about time. I waited at the door, but you weren't coming for a long time, so I came in. You were laying here, shaking. Were you having a bad dream or something?" He said, trying to mask his concern. 

You reached to your forehead, which you noticed was sweating. "Yeah, I actually was having a weird dream... but it's one I have had before. I keep having it all the time, actually."

"Tell me what it's about." Levi commanded, finally leaving you and taking his regular spot on the chair next to your bed. That chair was pretty much a permanent fixture of the room. He combed a hand through his hair as if to reset his emotional state. You would have loved to sit there and enjoy the sights, but your eyes were blurry.

You rubbed your face in your hands, trying to wipe away the sleep from your eyes so you could see clearer and feel more awake. Your voice still gravely from just waking up, you started telling him about the reoccurring dream, also mentioning the things that have changed. His concerned expression didn't leave his face. You didn't want to tell Levi that the voice sounded like him, because he might get creeped out. So you elected to omit that piece of information.

"I'm no fortune teller, but that does sound like a weird dream." He said. "What do you think it could mean?"

"I honestly have no idea. I started having it a few months before the titans attacked Shinganshina, and started to change after... after..."

"Spit it out, (Y/N). After what?"

"After I talked to you for the first time." You said, remembering the morning after you talked to Levi in that alleyway. 

~

It was about dawn when you shot up in bed, Mylius's sleeping body right next to yours. He looked peaceful. It was too early to start scrounging for food, so you decided the best use of your time was to try and get some more sleep. It didn't take long to get back to rest, but it was far from peaceful.

You closed your eyes and saw a dark expanse before you. When you looked down, your skin seemed to be actually glowing and emitting light. In the distance you could see the blobs of color and shades that you'd seen in this dream before. The figure came closer, calling your name as it had done so often before. You were frozen in place, only there to witness the display of events as if it were a show for you to watch. But suddenly, there was a new sensation this time. Your body parts started feeling heavy. It made the idea of moving even more impossible. 

The figure grew even closer, but its image was even more obscured. It was nothing more than a combination of moving colors. The weight was almost consuming you at this point.

Then, you felt a sensation that was almost like an embrace, and the figure disappeared into the darkness. The weight on your body was also falling away. Then it was silent. However, in a few minutes, the voice calling your name started up again, and you only woke up when Mylius shook you awake. 

"What was that?" He asked, clearly also having just woken up. "You were shaking, (Y/N)." 

"It was just a weird dream." You said. You were too tired to explain further, and Mylius could tell. it would be another long day of searching for food to survive off of. Your only hope was getting to the training corps soon. It wouldn't be too long now, though. 

~

"(Y/N)." Levi said, snapping you out of your trance. "Stop being so spacey."

"Sorry..." You muttered, feeling ashamed. He noticed your downtrodden face, and his hard gaze softened.

"It's fine, just stay with me here, okay? I just want to make sure you're doing alright."

You had joked about it to his face before to make him feel embarassed, but you really did consider yourself lucky to be able to be in his care. The good captain didn't break down over just anyone. It made you feel special when he talked to you with such tender words, like you really must have done something to earn it. It wasn't like Altiena's unbridled kindness, which you also loved and would miss very much; it was something entirely different. Some people thought that his actions toward you were extremely uncharacteristic for him, but to you, this was his true nature.

"Y-yeah. I'm here. I'm just tired, is all." You said. 

"Are you sick, or just lazy? It's almost noon. You slept hours after you normally wake up."

Seriously? You thought. 

"Oh." You muttered.

"(Y/N), are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." You hoped that would convince him. Honestly, physically you felt great, albeit for your healing ankle. It was just that your brain was still a little jumbled. 

"Okay..." He drawled. "Good, because I checked with the nurse and she said you could participate in a light hike today if you're up for it." He emphasized the word 'light.'

Your eyes lit up. "Really?" You exclaimed like a little child. He gave you a warm smile. It was so genuine that you didn't want to make fun of him this time. Usually you took every opportunity to make him flustered, but you could tell that he was just content enjoying your enthusiasm, so you let him have this one to himself.

You scrambled out of bed, causing your head to feel a little dizzy at the sudden movement after a long, deep sleep. Levi lurched forward as you brought your injured ankle to the ground, but you made sure to be careful with that part. You didn't want to worry him more than he was already.

You got yourself ready for the day in the restroom, and then Levi accompanied you to the mess hall where you sat with your friends. Again, he disappeared to who-knows-where, and your friends lamented that they also couldn't wake you up this morning. They apologized to you for leaving the job to Levi, but you weren't about to complain. You could get used to waking up to that man's face any day. 

You kept having thoughts like this, about the captain's physical features and all. There was no denying that he was exceptionally attractive. At first you would try to ignore these thoughts, but there was no stopping it anymore. The more time you spent with him, the more often the thoughts came to you. And you didn't want to stop spending time with him, either. There's no telling if you'd ever have time in your life like this again. 

It was as if Silva were reading your mind. Mylius was the only one who officially knew that you might be attracted to Levi, but she could read you like a book. She could read anyone, for that matter. She even made Levi feel uncomfortable because of how much she could tell.

"I'm sure (Y/N) had no problem waking up to Mr. Grumpy this morning. Did he wake you up like Prince Charming? Oh, Sleeping Beauty..." Silva purred, grabbing Ella's chin and pretending to romance her.

"Silva, stop it. You know the captain would never act like that." Mylius huffed.

She laughed. "Don't tell me you think I haven't noticed all the romance books he keeps giving her. The man's practically falling all over her."

"Maybe that's the only kind of book he can find?" Altiena said.

You decided to let your friends deliberate over the situation. You found that your input in these circumstances only fueled the fire. You would miss these conversations, even if their purpose was to torment you endlessly. It was one of Silva's favorite pastimes. You were sure it's what got her through training. She'd have to settle for tormenting Mylius and Altiena when you left.

Pretty soon it was time for your friends to leave for training, and you accompanied them for as long as you could before you had to retreat to the sidelines. Conveniently, Levi was waiting there for you.

"Ready?" He said. You nodded. It was time for the hike you had been so excited about. It was nice that there were so many different kinds of terrain by the training grounds. That's most likely why this is a good placement for it. After a few minutes, you spoke. 

"Levi, why don't you ever come sit with me and my friends?" 

"They're annoying." He said, honestly. 

You just laughed. "It's because they're teasing, right?" 

He exhaled sharply. "It's because I don't need some kids telling me things about myself that aren't even true." 

Suddenly you felt a pang of guilt. Did he know that your friends mercilessly tormented you about him during meals? Was he embarrassed of you? Doesn't he realize that if he didn't like the way people talked about him, that he could just stop visiting you so much and acting like he cared?

"So why not put a stop to the rumors, then?" You said. 

"What do you mean?" 

"You know everyone says things about the two of us because we spend so much time together. It would be just as easy for you to just stop hanging out with me altogether. Then people would be less 'annoying' about it." You climbed onto a rock, and held out your arm to him to pull him up. You knew there was no reality where he'd need your help doing this, but he took your hand anyway. 

"Do you want me to stop visiting you, then?" He said as he hoisted himself up onto the rock. Now that he had stood up, your bodies were mere inches apart, your hands still connected. You felt your cheeks heat up at the realization of your proximity. 

"No...." You mumbled. He leaned his face even closer to yours, causing your breath to hitch. Your heart was beating a million times a second.

"Me neither." He whispered, and then swiftly moved away from you, stepping onto the next rock.

Your body was still recovering from the strange and exhausting sensations he made you feel, and he grew impatient, reaching out his arm to you like you had just done. The two of you didn't exchange any words for a while. He watched as you relished in the beautiful nature around the hill you climbed up. You tried to climb up on every rock you found, but only some of them. Levi wouldn't let you over-exert yourself. You were allowed to hike, but you still weren't completely healed. After a little while, your ankle started hurting, and you plopped yourself on a patch of grass.

The sun warmed your skin, and you started feeling tired again- a natural result of high amounts of sun exposure. Levi stood behind you, enjoying your happiness yet again. Eventually he sat down beside you on the grass.

You had just noticed that this was the spot he took you to see the sunset on your birthday. The memory warmed you, and you remembered how your bodies were so close together that evening. You wanted to feel that again, so you moved closer to him.

Eventually the two of you were laying on the patch of grass, tired from the sunlight wearing you out. You drifted off into a light slumber next to the captain.

~

You awoke to the sounds of birds flapping their wings in the trees. For a second you forgot where you were, but then you saw Levi hunched in front of you on the grass, his back toward you. In his hands you could see the drawing of yourself from when you were a child. You forgot that he had it still. It was amazing that he didn't just throw the piece of garbage away. The sun looked like it was about to set in a little while.

This is one of the few chances you had to admire Levi while he didn't know you were looking. It felt a little bit creepy that you liked to do this, but it's not like you're spying on him or anything. You loved the way his black hair just reached the level of his eyes, so that sometimes he could purposely look menacing by tilting his head down. It made it even more special when his eyes were in full view.

You knew the man looked scary sometimes, but in moments like these when he thought no one else was watching him, he looked somewhat sweet and innocent. If it weren't for his muscles being fully visible through his white button-down shirt, he'd look weak too. That was probably because he was so short. That fact never bothered you, though. It wouldn't matter if he was the size of Wall Rose. He was still an attractive person.

Levi was fully occupied in his thoughts. He stared down at his hands, clutching the childhood drawing of you. He wondered what it must have felt like to be an innocent child who dreamed of the scouts. Your naivety would have rubbed him the wrong way on anyone else but you. There was something different about you that was alluring to him. He just couldn't figure out what it was.

He tried to convince himself it was your strength and your good military qualities, but he knew it was more than that. Everyone on his specialized squad had the same qualities, but he didn't feel the same way with any of them as he did with you. This feeling was alien to him, and he was worried that finding out what it meant wouldn't actually be a good thing.

If it was what he was suspecting, that would be annoying. A romance is not what he's looking for. He just wants a good soldier like you by his side, or at least that's what he's been telling himself. Anything extra would just get in the way. But there was another part of him that wanted to pursue this imaginary romance, if it even exists and you feel the same way. He has no experience with this kind of thing, so there's no way he'd even know what to do or how to treat you.

Levi is perfectly comfortable with the relationship the two of you have built up right now. It's one of trust and faith. He appreciates how honest you are with him about your thoughts, and how you don't hide anything from him. If you have a question, you ask. If you have a problem with something, you make it known.

He still wasn't ready to open up about his own life yet, but he knew that eventually, if you stuck around long enough, he would be able to tell you. So far in his life, Commander Erwin's really the only one who knows his full story. And it's not like he goes to the commander for regular therapy sessions or anything.

You felt like a person he could be honest with without fearing judgement, though you did tease him when he got soft sometimes. But that was healthy. Too many other people were so intimidated by him that they didn't dare mess around. You were never like that. The first time the two of you talked, you lectured him about manners. Usually it goes the other way around.

You were a change of pace in his life and he wasn't going to let you go without a fight. He had been hoping that you would accept his offer, but Levi was no stranger to being let down. He had prepared several arguments to persuade you if you declined. He was determined to keep you with him.

Eventually you stretched your body out, then curled up into a ball on your side next to Levi. He looked down at you with a gentle gaze.

"Hello there." He said softly. You smiled.

"Can't I just stay sleeping?"

"You want to miss the sunset?" Levi asked. You sat up and leaned against his shoulder. He enjoyed the feeling of you being so close to him.

"It feels like I've slept the whole day away." You yawned.

"You practically have. You're going to have a rough time getting to sleep at a normal hour tonight."

"Aw. Guess I'll just be all bored and alone then." You whined.

He didn't say anything; he just turned his gaze toward the sunset again. It looked so similar to the other night when you were here, except the sky wasn't as clear. Small clouds dotted the sky, reflecting the color pink off of them from below. They were gorgeous against the blue and purple sky.

You thought now was a good a time as any to tell Levi you would accept his offer to join the scouts early. In all honesty you wanted to tell him right away, but you decided your friends deserved to know first. You just couldn't find the right circumstance to tell Levi after that. So here you were, a few days away from when your answer would be 'due.'

You noticed his hand on the ground like it had been on the other evening. His fingers were tangled in the grass. His hand looked so pale...

Without thinking, your hand moved forward to brush on top of his. He flinched a little bit, snapping his head toward you but not moving his hand. You gingerly laid your hand on top of his, noticing how much bigger his was. His hands looked like the hands of a worker. There were scars and blisters where the handles of his swords would be held. Your pure, undamaged hand was a perfect complement to his. You wondered if yours would look so battle-worn someday.

Feeling like you had overstepped your bounds after you realized what you were doing, you jerked your hand off of his. You didn't notice the short look of disappointment on his face when you retreated.

"Hey, Captain?"

"Why so formal?" He said.

"No reason. I, uh, have been thinking a lot about your offer from the other night."

"And?"

"Well I think I have answer for you now." You said. He looked at you with awaiting eyes. You didn't realize how much your answer would actually affect him- there was no way for you to know how much his life had been changed because of you. You were holding him on a string as he waited to hear the words that he wished for.

"I'm accepting your offer to join the scouts early." You said as plainly as you could.

Masking his excitement and keeping his composure, he said "Good. I'll write to Section Commander Hanji immediately."

"Wait, I have some conditions."

He raised a brow. "Conditions? Cadet, this may be a generous offer, but it's not like you'll be granted a high rank or anything."

"Just hear me out." You paused, trying to think of the best way to phrase this. "You understand that I'll be leaving my friends, one of which has basically been by my side for my whole life, right?"

"Yeah." He said.

"Well, I want you to promise me that I can be provided with resources to be able to write letters to them regularly." You said, hopeful that he wouldn't scold you.

"It's not good to be so attached to your comrades, you know." He said. You prepared yourself for a lecture. "But fine. I can't really promise you your own personal stationary, but you'll be welcome to come to my office and use my resources whenever you want."

You couldn't help yourself from tackling him in a hug. "Thank you, Levi!" You exclaimed. The embrace was short-lived, as he removed himself from your grasp a few seconds later, pushing you off of him. He looked away from you to hide the blush creeping onto his cheeks. Usually he would beat someone up if they tried to touch him.

He looked back at you, and your smile was so wide it was contagious. He couldn't help but give you a soft smile back. After all, he was extremely pleased that you said yes to his offer. You took a deep breath, eager to embark on this new chapter of your life. You still couldn't believe how many new things had happened in such a short amount of time. You felt as if one day your mind would catch up with it all and just break down. This much stimulation kept your adrenaline going, and you felt pumped enough to go for another hike. You doubted the captain would be up for another one, though. Plus, it was dark now that the sun had already set.

You wondered if the captain liked your answer. He rarely showed any emotion, but you knew that he wanted you to accept his offer. Whenever he asked about what your thoughts were about it, he seemed extremely invested.

"Are you happy I said yes?" You asked, deciding to be direct with him. You hadn't shied away from being like this before, but for some reason this question seemed so personal.

"I am... satisfied, yes." He said.

"That's not what I asked."

He sighed, wondering whether or not he wanted to sound depressing to you. "I don't know. I have kind of forgotten what that felt like.” You fell silent, and he immediately regretted saying that. "I'm sorry. I didn't... mean to bring you down..." He said, searching for the right words to comfort you.

"You don't need to apologize for that, Levi. That's not your fault." You gave him a bittersweet smile. "Don't worry, you'll remember soon. I'm sure of it."

Once again, you were changing Levi's outlook on life with each word. It was true that he couldn't say if he was happy or not, but he was pleased. Your words comforted him, and he wondered what his future would look like now that you'd be in it.

~


	4. Chapter 4

You laid in bed, the sky black as night; but as Levi said, you had a hard time getting to sleep. You had slept so much during the day that you felt way too energized now to lay down and rest. You sat up, glancing at the moonlit faces of Ella, Silva, and Altiena. They knocked out almost immediately after dinner today. Shadis must've worked them extra hard. You couldn't wait until you could start training again. All this sitting around made you feel winded far quicker than before. 

Earlier today, you told Levi you'd come with him to the scout regiment. You still couldn't believe it.

You tiptoed out of bed, slipping on some shoes and a coat, since the midnight chill was sure to be colder than the daytime. You quietly left the cabin, careful not to disturb your friends. Your limp was still noticeable, but not too bad. Walking by yourself should be fine. 

You only had a few seconds to think so before someone grabbed your shoulders and pulled you to the side of a building, covering your mouth with their hand. This was new. Once your eyes adjusted to the darkness, you could see them. It was two of your fellow cadets, Renko and Jun, roommates of Mylius. To your knowledge they weren't all that dangerous, so you saw no point in making a fuss. Jun lifted a finger to his mouth, and Renko slowly removed his hand from your face. You glared at them, awaiting some kind of explanation. 

"What is this?" You hissed. You noticed the beads of sweat on Jun's face. 

Renko slowly lifted his pointer finger towards the forest. "There's some kind of noise in there..." He whispered. 

"Okay...?" You said. "Why did you need to go all kidnappy on me, then? Stop being babies and go back to bed. It's late."

"(Y/N)..." Jun whined. "It's too scary to sleep now! Y-you're the strongest one of us here, c-can't you go and check it out?"

You almost blew them off, but this could be interesting. 

"Fine," You sighed. "Stay behind me. You're coming too."

The boys whimpered, but nodded and followed you. You walked slowly to the edge of the forest, when you heard the noise. To you, it just sounded like some kind of animal cry. But Renko and Jun almost starting crying.

"Suck it up, guys. I'm trying to listen!" You whispered. They obeyed. It was nice to see that you still retained your credibility around here. The other cadets still respected you even while you were out of action. You reached the edge of the forest, squinting at the foliage below. The only light source was the moon, so it was hard to see. Suddenly you heard the noise again, much louder. Then, it was the rustle of leaves. 

You snapped your head toward the sound, instinctively jutting your arm out to grab the source. Renko was practically screaming, while Jun was frozen in shock.   
You cupped your hands together, then turned around to face the boys. Both of their faces were blue, almost as if they had just seen a ghost. You held out your arms and opened your hands to reveal a small brown toad. It was about the size of half of your palm.

You looked at the little guy, wondering why he was making such a loud noise. You tickled his head with your other finger. Immediately, the boys' composures changed. They calmed down and leaned in to look at the toad, before it sprung out of your hand into the air, landing right on Jun's face. He proceeded to scream, while Renko fell onto the ground out of laughter. You practically doubled over after watching Jun's reaction.

Eventually the animal left Jun's face, retreating back to the edge of the forest. Your laughter subsided, and you wiped a tear from your eye. 

"Thanks, guys. That was fun." You said as you walked away. You saw Mylius come out of their cabin, rubbing his eyes.

"What is with all the noise back here? (Y/N)? What are you doing out right now? You should be sleeping!"

"I took a nap during the day so I'm not tired." You said. 

"What's so funny?" He asked, noticing your smile. 

"Oh, I'll let Renko and Jun tell you." He looked past you, noticing the two boys still recovering from the incident. Jun was yelling something about needing to scrub his face off. 

"Hey. I don't really think you should be walking around in the dark by yourself, you know. I know we're all cadets here, but you never know..." Mylius started. 

"Let me stop you there. I appreciate your concern, old buddy, but I think I can handle myself. If these two knuckleheads are any representation, I don't really have much to fear. Plus, everyone here knows I'm one of the strongest around. They wouldn't dare try anything on me." You needed to remind Mylius that you're not the little girl he grew up with anymore. He should know better than anyone that you could defeat any person here in a fight if it weren't for your injury, which would barely hinder you now. 

"Yeah, alright. I guess there is a reason you got special access to the scout regiment, huh?"

"You got it. And I'll be careful, just for you. Don't you worry about me." You said, lifting your arm to pat Mylius on the head. "Go back to sleep before you need me to sing you a lullaby."

"Please, no. I don't need that." He pleaded, remembering the time you offered to lull him to sleep with a song you composed yourself. It was back when you were kids, and you sang him a song about going to sleep to get the strength you need to kill titans the next morning. There was no way he'd want to subject himself to that again.

"Alright, then goodnight, Mylius."

"G'night." Mylius yawned, heading back into his quarters. 

You thought maybe the activity with Renko and Jun would have tired you out a little, but now you felt even more awake. You walked all over the grounds, trying to stay on flat areas. You wanted to hike but you knew that if you happened to have some kind of problem on rocky ground, you wouldn't have Levi next to you like normal to help. It also pained you how slow you had to move. You wanted so badly to run, but you didn't dare try and end up prolonging your recovery by messing up your ankle more. The best thing to do was to be patient and not work yourself too much, but it was so hard. 

You found yourself wandering onto the main training grounds, with Captain Levi's quarters in full view. You noticed light was emitting from his window. Did he leave a lantern burning while he was asleep? You wondered. You almost walked over there, but you decided it really wasn't any of your business. You knew that he had trouble sleeping sometimes. This was probably just one of those times. 

But suddenly you heard the creak of a door, and in the distance you could see Captain Levi, fully awake and peering out at you. 

"(Y/N)?" His voice called out to you, sounding confused. This was not unlike your reoccurring dream, scarily enough. The realization itself made your limbs start to feel heavy, and you dropped to the ground.

"(Y/N)!" The voice got louder and more desperate. But this time it didn't sound more distant. It was coming closer. It was becoming hard to see.

Then, you saw nothing but black. The voice called your name again, and then you felt a sort of embrace. Then there was nothing.

~

Your eyes fluttered open to the dimly-lit room of the captain's. You stirred a bit, noticing you were laying on his bed. You tried to not get flustered over the fact that you were laying on his bed, where he slept each night. He was sitting at the desk, back towards you, but once he heard you were moving, he spun around and got up to hover over you.

"Hey, (Y/N), are you awake? What the hell happened?" He said in his concerned voice. His dark eye-bags looked worse than normal.

You reached your hand up to his face and rested it on his cheek. "You need sleep..." You mumbled. Normally he would remove your hand from him, but not this time.

He laid his hand on top of yours. "Don't worry about me, idiot, you literally passed out in the middle of the training ground. What is going on with you? You've been messed up all day. First with the sleeping till noon, then the weird dream..."

"Speaking of dreams..." You started. "I think I had it again. But it was different. This time, it was real."

"What are you talking about?" He was full of questions tonight. Well, it might not even be night. You couldn't even tell anymore.

"When I was standing there, and you were calling my name, it felt just like the dream. It was even dark all around me, because it's night outside. And then, when you were coming closer, that was all the same too. My limbs started feeling heavy as well. And then you got to me, I think, and then I can't remember anything after that." You let your hand drop back down to the bed.

"Funny thing is, I think the voice was supposed to be you the whole time. I just didn't put the pieces together right away." You said.

Levi just stared at you in silence with furrowed brows.

Finally, he spoke. "You... scared me." He confessed.

"Someone should write that down. I just broke a record." You laughed weakly. He just shot you a look. "Anyway, I'm fine now." You sat up on his bed, and took a look around the room. You realized you had never actually been in here before. He had always been the one to come to you. Technically, he still came to you this time, but just brought you back to the closest cabin. It was pretty empty, save for the small stack of letters on the desk.

"What are those?" You asked.

"Correspondence from HQ."

"Can I see some of them?"

Levi shrugged. "I guess there's no harm in that." He reached over and grabbed the one at the bottom of the pile. "Here. Knock yourself out."

You had to squint to read because the light was so dim, but you could still make it out.

Hanji,

This is the second day I am watching over the new recruits at the training grounds. Shadis is beating them down as hard as ever. A lot of them have already dropped out.

However, I have noticed a group of them who seem different. They might be promising. I will be watching them with great interest for the near future.

Please see to it that my office is regularly dusted while I'm gone.

-Levi

You chuckled at the last bit about cleaning. Levi's still Levi even in writing. You took the next envelope from the stack he was holding in his hands. He was content just watching you react to the letters.

"Hold on," You said. "If you sent these letters, why do you have a copy of them?" You asked. 

"It's standard procedure. You should always make two copies of a letter, so that both parties can view the full story." He said. You took the next envelope from the stack he was holding in his hands. He was content just watching you react to the letters.

Levi,

Today I told Moblit his hair looked funny, and then an hour later he showed up with a new haircut! I was just kidding around, but I guess he really took it to heart.

Also, I ordered one of the rookies to clean your office once per hour. I hope that is enough.

-Hanji

There was a drawing of a little smiley face with the tongue sticking out.

"Section Commander Hanji sure seems like a riot, huh?" You laughed.

"Yeah." Levi grumbled. "You two would get along just fine." He handed you the next letter.

Hanji,

There are a few cadets I want to bring to the scout regiment's attention. Among these few is one who we simply cannot lose to the Military Police. I don't think she would choose to go there either way, but I believe we should offer her a position in the scout regiment early. She has more than proved herself in the field and among her peers. Plus, she shows great interest in joining the scouts already.

Her name is (Y/N)(L/N). She may not look all that impressive at first glance, but I was quickly proven wrong. She has the qualities we need- leadership, discipline, and physical strength. All of the other cadets respect the hell out of her, and they look up to her. I'm formally asking that you grant me permission to offer her official membership in the scout legion.

The only issue right now is that she's injured due to a training accident. It will likely take a little more than two weeks for her to recover. I'll give her that time to decide what she wants to choose, if you will give me the power. During that time I'll ensure her speedy recovery.

I am awaiting your response,  
-Captain Levi Ackerman

It felt kind of weird to read all that nice stuff Levi wrote about you, even though he had said it to you in person before. But this whole time you thought he was spending time with you because he enjoyed your company. Was it really just because he wanted to make sure you recovered quickly?

Then again, this was written right after you twisted your ankle, so he barely knew you at that point. His feelings have probably changed by now. You took the next letter from him.

Levi,

Great news! I talked to Erwin and he thought that it would be an interesting idea. He didn't seem one-hundred-percent convinced, but he granted your request anyway.

It sounds like you're really optimistic about this girl. Tell me- is she pretty? You have to answer. I command you.

-Four Eyes

Her letter was followed by another crude drawing, this time a chibi caricature of Levi with hearts drawn in as his eyes. You could't contain your laughter at this one. Levi practically ripped it out of your hands, and tried to conceal the blush starting to form on his face. Luckily, you were focused on the remaining pieces of paper in his hands. But that was another problem. He took a glance at the next letter and then threw it behind him.

"Levi? What did you do that for?"

"That one was just garbage." He said with wide eyes.

"You know, you're not a very good liar. Let me read it."

He grumbled some curses you couldn't quite make out as he leaned back and retrieved the letter from the ground. He handed it to you and then looked away.

Hanji,

Today I let Cadet (L/N) know of my offer. She seems like she will need a while to come up with an answer. I will be keeping you updated.

Regarding your question, I fail to see why that's necessary. But if you must know, yes, she is. That fact is irrelevant to her quality as a soldier. Please don't ask me more questions like this. It's weird.

-Your overlord, Levi

His letter was accompanied by a drawing of him stabbing what you assumed to be a depiction of Hanji with a knife. You didn't know whether to feel embarrassed about the subject matter or to laugh at the drawing and his signature. You ended up with a combination, letting out a strange nervous laugher.

"That's why I didn't want you to read that..."

"'Your overlord, Levi?'" You laughed loudly. "What is that? Why did you even write something like that..." You couldn't contain your laughter.

Levi seemed relieved that you were focused on the hilarity and not the fact that he essentially put down in writing that you were pretty.

"Sometimes I like to remind the Section Commander of my power." He said, forcing a smirk. This spectacle just made you laugh more, even more than the antics with Renko and Jun earlier. You wondered if they ever got back to bed.

These letters made you even more excited to get to the scouts HQ and meet Hanji. She would undoubtably be excited to see you, too, if these letters were any testament. You read a few more of them, full of Hanji trying to torment Levi with questions like "'Is she taller than you?', 'Is she a dog or a cat person?', and 'Can you draw a picture of her?"

You knew Levi had some kind of artistic skill based on the funny drawing in the earlier letter, but the next letter that he send was a highly-detailed drawing of you. He must have done this while he was watching you read or something. It was incredible. You wondered what other hidden talents this mysterious man might have.

"Levi... this is..."

"Don't get teary-eyed on me. It's just a drawing." He said. "By the way, here's this back. I didn't know if you wanted it, since you didn't say anything. But here you go." He handed you the crumpled paper of your childhood drawing. It was obvious that he had spent some time trying to un-crinkle it. You noticed something on the back.

You turned it over to reveal another detailed drawing of you in a scout uniform, depicting quite literally your dream. Tears started to form in your eyes and you noticed the small signature in the corner: Levi Ackerman, In neat print, directly opposite where you had signed your name as a child.

You couldn't help but throw your arms around Levi's shoulders, giving the man a hug. "This is beautiful, Levi, thank you." You said. "This means a lot to me."

He didn't push you away this time, in fact, after a moment of hesitation he wrapped his arms around your waist. It wasn't often that he got to feel the embrace of another person. It just so happened that he was receiving one from the least annoying human, so he would allow it for now.

After a little while you let go of him, standing up and going to the window. You opened up the shades. It was morning, and all of the recruits were on the training ground already. You wondered how long you were out. 

Oh no. You thought. The girls would have surely noticed you didn't return this morning when they got up, and they probably told Mylius. He was all worried about you last night, and you told him not to worry. It would be cruel to let him think you were endangered in some way. However, if you leave the captain's cabin right now... in the morning, essentially in your sleepwear, there would be some questions raised. You turned around slowly to face Levi.

"I know." He said, reading your mind before you had to say anything. "Your friends will have noticed your absence. That's what you're thinking about, right?"

"Yeah..."

"I already told them." He said. 

That begs another question, though. Told them what, specifically? That you're sleeping in his room? Or that you passed out and he brought you inside? You didn't know how to ask the question without it coming off strangely, so you just decided to live in mystery. 

"How is your ankle?" He asked. You walked a few steps around the room.

"Better." 

"Good. As soon as you're cleared by the nurse we'll take off for headquarters on horseback. I arranged time with Commander Shadis for you to say goodbye to your friends without training in the way. I hope that's sufficient for you." He said. 

You smiled. "That's perfect. Thank you, Levi."

"And another thing." He said, standing up and moving just a few inches in front of you. "You and I are most likely going to have less 'alone-time.' So you should get yourself used to calling me Captain."

You saluted incorrectly on purpose. "Aye-aye, Captain Levi, my overlord." You gave him a dramatic bow. This amused him. "Is that your preferred honorific?"

"Absolutely." He said, ruffling the hair on your head.

~

You sat in the infirmary in the evening, waiting for the nurse to do her final check-ups on your ankle. Today would mark the end of two weeks of your being out of action. You couldn't wait to start running again after she cleared you to go.

Captain Levi sat beside you, just as eager for the nurse's conclusion. He tapped his foot on the ground in anticipation.

"Alright," The nurse said finally as she looked up from her clipboard. She smiled sweetly. "You should be all good to go, (Y/N). You really healed up good."

A smile spread across your face as you leaped off of the cot, still subconsciously careful with your ankle. There was reason to celebrate, but no reason to be rash. You turned your face to Levi, who leaned back with a look of satisfaction on his face.

You bounced on your feet, eyes locked on him as if asking permission to go out and run. He waved his hand in the air, which meant 'Go ahead.’ You burst out of the infirmary and sped over to the training grounds, where your fellow cadets just happened to be running laps. They were about fifteen in, so your excitement made some of them want to hurl. Nevertheless, most of them were glad to see you were back, so you joined them.

"H-hey," Silva huffed, coming up behind you. "Does this mean..."

"Yeah." You said. "I'm leaving tomorrow. But we don't have to think about that right now. I'm just excited to be with everyone again. I was about to go insane if I had to spend one more day laying in bed."

Silva laughed. After about ten more laps, Shadis ordered everyone to stop, and despite your comrades' exhaustion, they were happy to see you. You accompanied them in performing their cool-down stretches, which is a practice they picked up from you and continued when you were gone. It made you happy that they'd be thinking about you even when you left to join the scouts. It was bittersweet.

Altiena hung all over you, not being able to contain herself. Her rough physical love was too much for your injured self, but now that you were healed she couldn't hold back. She tackled you to the ground with hugs at least four separate times before you reached the mess hall for dinner.

Mylius practically passed out when he sat down at your usual table. He had been sluggish today because he was also anxious about your ankle being healed, so Shadis naturally worked him extra hard. This gave Altiena the perfect chance to baby him, almost to the point of forcefully spoon-feeding him his dinner. Renko and Jun also joined you at the table, earning suspicious glances from Silva and Ella.

"So, (Y/N), we heard you'll be leaving us tomorrow." Renko said.

Jun whined. "When were you gonna tell us? We're buddies, right?"

"Tch." You said, noticing the vocabulary adoption from the captain. "I'm no better friends with you guys than Jun was with that toad the other night.” This caused Mylius and Renko to laugh, and the girls' faces lit up with intrigue. You raised your eyebrows at the two boys, encouraging them to tell the story.

They embellished your heroism, but you weren't about to argue.

Suddenly, you felt a shadow move on your left, and a body plop down on the bench beside you. Your whole table fell silent, staring at whatever just joined you. You slowly moved your eyes to the left, and you couldn't believe it.

It was Levi.

Your friends overreacted, but it was still a funny spectacle. Altiena, Renko, and Jun all dropped their silverware and saluted nervously, Ella and Mylius sat slack-jawed, and Silva stopped mid-chew, suppressing laughter.

You tried to communicate your confusion to Levi through your eyes, but he brushed you off, instead digging into his own dinner. After a few seconds he looked up again. "What?" He said in the most boring tone he could muster.

Silva couldn't take it anymore. She erupted in laughter, causing most of the mess hall's eyes to turn to the eight of you. Ella soon started to giggle nervously, but the others at your table were just stunned into silence. You wanted to crawl into a hole and never be seen again.

"Silva!" Mylius scolded her as he so often did. Eventually she quieted down, and the mess hall resumed to its usual buzz of voices.

"Well, this was a mistake." Levi muttered, starting to stand up again. You lifted your hand to grip his shoulder, pushing him back down on the bench. He was mildly impressed at your strength. If he really wanted to, he could have overpowered you anyway, but you seemed to really want him there.

In reality you didn't really know what you wanted; your arm kind of shot out on instinct. He settled back down on the bench. Renko and Jun were whispering something to each other.

"So, Captain..." Ella started. "Nice weather today, huh?"

He looked up and cocked his head to the side. "No better than any other day."

"Yes, Ella!" You said over-enthusiastically, trying to cover for Levi's bad attitude. "It was beautiful today. Not a cloud in the sky."

"And that nice breeze felt so good when we had to run at the end of the day!" Altiena added.

"That was my favorite part of the day, but mostly because (Y/N) got to join us again." Mylius said. "Thank you, Captain, for taking care of her for all that time."

"Someone had to make sure she didn't wreck herself." Levi scoffed. That made you chuckle. The rest of your table followed your example, laughing at his words. They didn't know he was actually being serious. He just shrugged and carried on eating.

The rest of the dinner hour resumed to be almost normal, except Silva was unnaturally quiet. As soon as most of our plates had been cleaned, she stood up. "Captain Levi," She announced. "You better make sure our (Y/N) is taken care of. I will never forgive you if something happens to her."

You expected Levi to just brush her off, scoffing like he normally would. But he looked at her with wide eyes, and opened his mouth.

"I won't let anything happen to her." He said, genuinely.

"Is that a promise?" Silva hissed.

"You know I can't make promises in the scout regiment."

Dark expressions fell onto your friends' faces. You didn't like the mood that had been created, so you stood up.

"Guys, I'm not going to die. Stop being like this. You know me, I've got the skills, I just need to hone them. And I'll write to you all the time. You don't have to be worried."

Your words made some of them feel better, but you realized their fear of your death would never really go away as long as the titans were still a threat. After a little while Levi stood up and left the table, realizing that most of the mess hall had gone back to the barracks by now. You let your friends know that Shadis would give them a little time off training tomorrow to say goodbye to you before you went off to scout HQ, and they seemed delighted by that fact.

Mylius left and returned a few minutes later with a couple of decks of cards, and you played games and talked with your friends well into the night. Levi would come to check on the group of you periodically to make sure you were all behaving. He even stayed long enough to join in on a round of Truth or Dare, but when it got to his turn he made up some excuse that he had to leave.

You decided to get some fresh air while your friends carried on with the game, and to your surprise Levi was hanging out on the porch with his eyes closed. "Hey." You said quietly, not wanting to startle him. As if that's a realistic concern anyway.

"Like I said, your friends sure are annoying. You sure you want to keep writing letters to them?" He said. You punched him lightly on his shoulder.

"Yeah. They're everything to me. Sometimes you need a little bit of annoying in your life. Section Commander Hanji seems like she's worth the whole lot of them, and you still talk to her."

"That's different. I have to talk to Hanji."

"Admit it, you enjoy her company at least a little bit." You teased.

"I can... tolerate her incessant screams, sometimes." He said. "But once she starts fawning over the titans I'm out of there. I'd rather she bother me than Erwin, though. He's got a lot more work than I do."

You smiled. "I'm excited to meet everyone."

"Good." Levi said. "Headquarters is about half a day's ride from here. So if we leave in the late morning, we'll arrive by dinnertime. That should be a good amount of time for you to get acquainted with everyone before we start training the next day."

You took a deep breath, excited for that prospect. Most cadets would grumble at the sound of more training, but you couldn't be more pumped. Plus, you would be personally trained by Levi himself. You couldn't really ask for more. You also suspected you'd enjoy many long talks about titans from Hanji, as she is the titan expert. Everything was just getting so exciting. The only downside was not being able to see your friends.

"You should get some sleep, Captain." You said, starting to walk back into the mess hall where your friends had started boisterously laughing.

He smirked. "I should, shouldn't I."

You returned to your friends, some of whom were quite literally rolling on the floor with laughter. Silva and Renko were sitting completely still next to each other, faces beet red. You could only guess what just transpired here.

"What's going on?" You said, putting your hands on your hips. Silva closed her eyes and covered her face. You had never seen her like this. She was always so cool and collected.

"Silva's... dare..." Jun tried to say, tears of laughter pouring down his face.

"We.. we made Silva and Renko kiss.." Ella said between giggles. Mylius stood up and put his mouth to your ear.

"I think they liked it, though. And now they won't talk." He whispered. He pushed himself away from you and continued laughing, and you couldn't hold in your own laugher anymore.

Levi still stood on the porch, listening to your laughs. It was a sound he could get used to hearing more often.

~


	5. Chapter 5

It was the next morning, and you had woken up early to pack all of your belongings before the rest of the girls woke up. There wasn't really much to pack; just a few extra clothes and toiletries.

You watched the faces of your friends wake up in the next few minutes, then you waited for them to get themselves ready for the day. This would be the last time you're doing this for a long time. Despite the heavy hearts, the four of you joined up with Mylius, Renko, and Jun, and headed off to the mess hall as normal. Everyone laughed and joked as if it were just another day, but then soon the hall emptied of all the cadets but the seven of you. Shadis was aware that you were leaving, and he found it in his heart to pull one courteous gesture to let your friends say goodbye to you before formally sending you off.

Renko and Jun gave you quick hugs before you were snatched away by Altiena, tackled onto the floor. Ella and Silva joined in the group hug.

Silva leaned into your ear. "You better get some.” You blushed and shooed her away from your face as she chuckled proudly. Eventually Ella and Silva managed to pry a crying Altiena off of you, and then it was Mylius's turn to say goodbye.

"So, this is it, huh." He said.

You propelled forward and enveloped the taller boy in a hug. "I'm gonna miss you the most." You whispered.

He chuckled and whispered back. "You'd better."

You stayed like that for a while, not wanting to let go of your other half just yet. You knew either of you wouldn't exactly feel lonely without each other, but you would still miss each other a lot. "You better tell me everything about the scouts when you get there. I want juicy details, (Y/N), juicy." He said, leaving the embrace finally.

Levi poked his head around the door of the mess. "Cadets." Everyone's attention snapped to him. "Come on. We don't have all day." He motioned the seven of you to come with him.

Commander Shadis stood in front of the other cadets, who were lined up. You and your friends fell into formation, and Levi took his place beside Shadis. It was even more obvious how short he was when he stood next to people like that. You imagined it would be a similar case with Commander Erwin. "Today we are losing one of our recruits!" Commander Shadis yelled, and a low mumble fell upon the cadets. Everyone except you and your friends wondered who this person could be. "I am giving a formal send-off to one of our finest recruits, (Y/N/L/N)." He said. Many eyes turned back and stared at you.

"Don't let her absence weigh you down, soldiers! I expect you all to rise up and fill in her empty shoes!" Shadis yelled.

Captain Levi cleared his throat beside him. "Cadet (L/N) has been offered membership in the scout regiment early, and she will be accompanied by Captain Levi, who I'm sure you're all acquainted with by now. Say your goodbyes quickly; they will be off soon. You have five minutes, cadets." The commander stepped away.

A few cadets who you'd only had short exchanges with lamented about your departure from the group. You told them that you'd send letters, and that your friends can share them with everyone if they want. This little detail seemed to make a lot of people content. Most of them weren't as set on what regiment they wanted to go to, but they all wanted a little taste of something beyond just training.

Levi stood in the distance, just in front of the horse stables, where he had prepared two horses, one carrying your belongings on its saddle. You gave all of your close friends one last teary-eyed goodbye hug, then took off to jog over to Levi.

"We're going to be late." He said, launching himself to perch on the saddle of his horse.

"Oh come on, my overlord, a few minutes won't kill anyone." You scoffed. You started getting up onto your horse, but a voice called your name behind you. It was Mylius. He was running so fast that you thought once he reached you, you imagined you'd be knocked onto the ground. He crashed into you with such force; the wind was almost knocked out of you. He must have taken some pointers from Altiena.

He hugged you tightly, and you didn't hold back either. This was your best friend in the whole world, after all. You had done everything together. You had managed to mostly keep the tears from coming out while you were saying goodbye to all your friends, but this gesture just broke you. Levi noticed that this was a private moment and elected to look the other way and distract himself.

Mylius stroked your hair on the back of your head, the way he would do when you came to him crying as a child. "I'm gonna miss you so much, (Y/N). You better do great things out there. I'll be right behind you once I graduate."

You just hugged him tighter, mumbling into his chest. "Yeah. I'll be waiting for you, old buddy."

It felt like the two of you had been hugging for a long, long time. You were glad Levi decided to give you this moment with your best friend. Eventually Mylius retracted from the embrace, and took your hand. He shoved his hand in his pocket and then emptied the contents into your open palm. "It was Altiena's idea, but in her antics, she forgot to give you this."

It was a necklace with little wooden beads on it, engraved with the letters 'M,''A,''S,' and 'E.'

"M.A.S.E. Mase? What is that?" You asked.

Mylius facepalmed himself. "I told Silva it would be dumb. It's supposed to be all our first initials. Me, Altiena, Silva, and Ella." He said, pointing at each bead when he mentioned a name. "Silva thought it would be funny to put it in this order. You know how she is."

Usually you would laugh at your friend's antics, but this object made you cry even more. Mylius pulled you in for one last small hug and then took the necklace from your hand, hooking it around your neck. It hung just under your collarbone, proudly displaying the word "MASE" on your chest. "I gotta do everything for you, huh? How are you gonna survive out there in the big leagues all on your own?" He said. You could hear his voice choking up again.

It was pretty cheesy, but the fact that your friends made you something was really touching to you. Each bead was carved differently, so you could tell that each of your friends designed theirs individually. That made this really special.

As hard as it was to leave him now, you moved away from Mylius and got up onto your horse. The next steps you take would be into a completely new future, far different than what you had planned. You always thought Mylius would be with you. But you guessed that dream would have to wait a little while for him to graduate.  
Once you're all ready to go, Levi glances back at you and starts to move forward on his horse. You follow him and look back to see the image of Mylius growing smaller and smaller as you leave the training grounds. Shadis would probably make him run extra laps for leaving the group.

You and Levi travelled in silence for hours, only interrupted sometimes by you pointing out an animal or a pretty cloud once in a while. Riding on horseback wasn't really the ideal setting for a conversation. You weren't very used to riding horses, so after a few hours your legs became sore. You felt you couldn't ask Levi to stop, though, because that would show weakness. You didn't want to start off your first day as an official scout showing your vulnerability.

However, this would prove to be a problem, as the next few hours were filled with excruciating pain. Levi had noticed you became more quiet, but he didn't say anything.

When you reached the Survey Corps headquarters, you marveled at its regality. You had never been in the presence of a building that looked so... important. Levi held his hand out to tell you to stop your horse, and the two of you set them up in the stables near the entrance. You could see the front door open, and a woman with brown hair and glasses started speeding towards the two of you.

You could barely assess the situation before she was practically on top of you, yelling your name. The woman tackled you in a hug, and since your legs were weak from the ride, you had no stability, falling over onto your back immediately. She hovered over you, still pinning your body down. Her arms were planted on the ground on either side of you head, her glasses glinting in the setting sun.

"(Y/N)!" She turned her face toward Levi, who was giving her the death glare. "Is it really her?"

He nodded.

You finally spoke. "Section Commander... Hanji?"

She jumped to her feet, adjusting her glasses. "You got it! It's me, in the flesh!" She extended an arm to you and helped you up, then shook your hand enthusiastically. "I've heard great things about you!"

At that moment a tall man with smooth, blonde hair emerged behind Hanji. It was Commander Erwin. You felt the blood drain from your face as he looked at you with conviction.

Soon, his gaze softened, and he offered you a polite smile, then gave you a handshake. You were so paralyzed by his authority you could barely introduce yourself, but he already knew who you were. "It's a pleasure to meet you, (Y/N). I expect great things." And with that, he turned on his heel and went back inside HQ. Hanji regained her excitement and grabbed your shoulders.

"Let me give you a tour around the headquarters! I need to show you everything."

You looked back at Levi, who gathered your small pack of belongings from your horse. He lifted a finger to the side of his head and drew circles, indicating that this woman was crazy.

But something about her set a fire in you. Finding a new burst of energy, your adrenaline alone helped you ignore the pain in your legs. "All right! Let's go!" You pumped a fist in the air.

"That's the spirit! Levi, you didn't tell me she was this awesome! We're going to be such great friends!" She exclaimed. She held out her elbow, and you followed suit and hooked your arm in hers. You weren't expecting to have such a warm welcome to the scouts, but Levi was not surprised at all. He just hoped Hanji wouldn't say anything to scare you off. Luckily, you seemed to get along with her.

Hanji's excitement helped alleviate the sadness you felt about leaving your friends, so you were happy to have her by your side as you embarked on this new adventure. You could tell the two of you would be spending a lot of time together in the future. 

~

Hanji dragged you into headquarters, and it took all of your strength just to keep up with her. Levi disappeared somewhere, likely happy that she clung onto you so much right away. That way, he wouldn't have to deal with her for a while.

Hanji would stop every person you met in the hallway to introduce you to them. It was impossible to remember all of their names this way. You just smiled and shook everyone's hands, making sure to show respect and give off a good first impression of yourself.

It appeared most of the scouts already knew of your interesting offer. One of them decided to challenge you a bit.

"My name's (Y/N/L/N). Nice to meet you." You said, shaking the man's hand firmly. He gripped your hand harder than the others had.

"Raoul Martin. Listen, you may have gotten here a special way, but don't think you have any kind of leg up. You may have won the favor of Captain Levi, but if anything you're at a huge disadvantage here. We all went through years of training that you skipped. You're going to have to work extra hard if you want to be one of us."

"I'm aware of that, sir. I'm willing to work as hard as possible to be on the same level as the others."

"You should aim to be better than everyone else." He let go of your hand. "Tell me, why did you want to join the scouts?"

You started. "It has been my dream since I was a little girl, sir. I saw it as the most important job a human could have, and I was discontent with how human life lead inside the walls. I also was extremely interested in how titans worked and where they came from." You hesitated. "Then, I was in Shinganshina when the titans broke through the wall. Most people would have been more scared, but I became even more determined to join the scouts."

"Okay..." Raoul said. "So you're not scared of dying, then?"

"Oh, of course I am. It terrifies me to my core."

He laughed. "Then why did you join the scout regiment? Are you stupid?"

You stood your ground. "My fear is exactly why I joined, sir. It's what's propelling me forward. I'm aware of my strength and skill, and it would be a waste of my efforts to not join the scouts and eradicate the titans from this world. My fear is telling me that I need to do this."

Raoul was silent for a few seconds, and Hanji didn't dare say a word either. "Well, maybe you're all right then. Have a good rest of your night." The man walked away, raising his arm in a lazy wave.

"Wow, (Y/N), you're so noble!" Hanji said once Raoul was gone.

You scratched the back of your neck. "It's nothing, Section Commander, I was just being honest."

"Please, (Y/N), just call me Hanji. It makes me feel so old when you use my title. Plus, we're going to be great friends, so you don't have to be so formal."

"Alright, Hanji." You felt a little weird just saying her first name, but it's not like this is the first time a superior has told you to be informal like this. You assumed Levi still would want you to call him Captain in front of others, though.

She continued leading you down the hallway, and then stopped at one of the doors. "This here's my office," she patted the door and then opened it.  
"You said you were curious about the Titans, right? Well, you've come to the right place!" Hanji spread her arms out wide and spun around the room. "This is the highest concentration of titan knowledge, right here in this room!"

"Amazing! I can't wait to learn everything from you!" You exclaimed.

"Yes, yes, I am eager to share my knowledge as well, but one simply cannot function on an empty stomach, my dear. We must dine!" Hanji said, grabbing your hand and dragging you down the hallway, making sure to close her office door. But the two of you stopped a little ways away.

"Oh, heres's Levi's office. You'd probably want to know where that is. Since he's not there we won't go in; that would be rude." Hanji said. Levi probably appreciated her concern over keeping his stuff private. The two of you kept on down the hallway.

Hanji had spent so much time showing you around that the mess hall was almost empty when you got there. That meant the food was a bit cold, but you enjoyed it anyway. Hanji talked so much that you barely had to get a word in the conversation. It was a completely different experience than talking to Levi.

Speak of the devil and he shall come, because at that moment Levi walked into the mess hall from the kitchen with a cup of tea. He plopped himself down right next to you without a word.

"Levi!!" Hanji exclaimed. You were glad no one else was in the room, because all the attention would have been on you three.  
"What, four eyes?" He barely looked at up her from his tea.

"You didn't tell me (Y/N) was a fellow seeker of titan knowledge!"

"Did you expect me to write a full detailed bio of her whole life story or something?" Levi said. The two of them argued as if you weren't sitting there right next to them, finishing up your dinner.

"Hey, Hanji?" You said after disposing of your dirty dishes. "It's getting late, and I am bit exhausted from today..." You said, hoping to get some kind of closure as to your sleeping situation.

"Right! Levi will show you to your quarters." She gestured to him. "I will see you tomorrow, my bright-eyed pupil! I hope you will join me after your training!" She gave you a pat on the head and then skipped out of the mess hall, leaving just you and Levi alone.

You sighed and let your head fall onto the table, burying yourself in your arms. "I told you she was a lot." Levi said.

You grumbled. "I honestly love her company; I was just so tired already when we got here. I didn't know much longer I'd survive."

"If half a day's horseback ride gets you tired, buckle up. You're in the big leagues now. We don't have time for you to play catch-up."

"Okay, okay." You said, rising up from the table. Levi did so as well. He lead you out into the hall, down some stairs, and then into a courtyard. It was dark, so you couldn't really see much outside. He lead you into another building from the courtyard, which opened to a long hallway. The two of you walked a few doors down when he stopped, and Levi opened the door with a key before tossing it to you. You noticed he had a spare copy as well. You made a mental note that Levi had access to your room.

He opened it to a very cosy looking living space, complete with a bed, a wardrobe, and a small mirror. On the bed was your bag full of belongings, which you guessed Levi must have brought here while you talked to Hanji.

"Here's your royal abode." Levi said, sarcastically. You flopped onto the mattress, kicking up some dust at the action. Levi's face contorted to a look of utter disgust. "This is filthy. I'm going to get some cleaning supplies from the hall closet.” You didn't dare argue with him about cleanliness. You started emptying the contents of your bag and filling the wardrobe with your few items of clothing. In a few minutes he returned with cleaning supplies and dust coverings for his face and his hair. You laughed at his maid-like state.

He just looked at you. "Being clean is more important than looking cool." And with that, he threw you the broom and some dust masks. You had trouble trying to get the cloth over your hair, so with a long, exasperated sigh, Levi came to your aid. "You know, you're not injured anymore, so don't keep expecting me to baby you." He said. 

"Sorry..."

It seemed Levi had some sort of weakness whenever you backed down from him. It was as if he enjoyed it when you were more resistant. "Don't be like that." He completed tying the piece of fabric, then gave you a couple of pats on the head. "Now. Clean."

The two of you spend a little while ridding the old room of dust. After you were done, you threw yourself on the bed, and Levi leaned in the open doorway. The room was small, but it's not like you would be spending much time in it. You imagined you'd be in Hanji's lab a lot, and whenever you wanted to write letters, Levi offered his resources for you, so you'd be in his office. 

You sat up and looked at the captain. "Thank you, Levi."

He looked away, obviously a bit flustered at your sudden sincerity. "You cleaned most of the room, anyway. I barely did anything." 

"No, I mean for everything. You watched over me when I was injured, you gave me this amazing opportunity, and you're still looking out for me. You're nothing like what they say."

His gaze snapped back to you. "And what is it that they say?"

"Well..." you started, absentmindedly dragging your hands on the bedsheets. "The main rumors, besides you being the strongest soldier humanity has to offer, are that you have a bad attitude. People say you're coldhearted and you don't care about anyone else."

"Isn't that what you thought when you first met me?"

"Well, yeah, but it didn't long for me to stop thinking that. Your 'bad' attitude is just how you are, and you clearly care about people. You took care of me, so you're not coldhearted either. And now we've spend so much time together; I don't even think I can remember that version of you. The only one I know is this one right here in front of me."

It was too dark to see if a blush had risen to his face, but you didn't need to see him in order to know. 

"Yeah, whatever. You've made me soft." He crossed his arms. 

"Oh?" You said quizzically. "And how did I do that?"

He scoffed. "You know... you talk to me differently than everyone else. Most people just stay away from me because they're scared. Except Hanji, but she's insane." He mumbled some other things that you couldn't quite hear.

"What was that last thing you said?"

"I said Hanji is off her rocker."

"No, after that."

"I didn't say anything after that." He crossed his arms. 

You stood up. You were going to push at him this time. "Yes, you did. You mumbled something on purpose so I couldn't hear." 

He just glared at you.

You started taking slow steps toward him. You could see his body tense up. The thought of you having this effect on the captain gave you some confidence. You kept talking. 

"You know that I heard you, so why are you lying?"

"I-I said you're an idiot." There is it, you thought. The stutter. That's what shows you what you're doing is working. You were mere inches from his face now, and you could almost feel his sharp breaths.

"I know that's not what you said. You're still not a very good liar." You said, smirking. Your confidence had taken over your body. It was like you were on autopilot.

"Stop." He commanded, his face redder than you had ever seen before. 

You could feel the blood drain from your face. The realization of what you were doing took over and you flinched away from him. Your mind was spinning. What was I thinking?

Levi turned away from you and leaned on the doorframe once again. "6:00 AM sharp. My office. Training starts tomorrow." He swiftly walked out of the doorway and closed your door. 

You were left in the silence of your dark room, only accompanied by the sounds of insects outside. You thought it was fun to play with the captain's hard barrier sometimes, but maybe you had taken it too far. You hoped this wouldn't make things weird between you two tomorrow, since you still do have to meet with him for training. 

You wondered what one-on-one training with Levi would be like. Since you had spent the majority of your time with him injured, you didn't get to see how he acts towards most people. Maybe you'd get a taste of the Captain Levi everyone else seems to know so well. 

Only tomorrow will tell. 

~

The next day you woke up at 5:30, slowly dragging yourself out of bed and into the hall restroom. You thought you would have recovered from yesterday's trip by now, but your thighs were still aching in pain. You'd just have to get over it and make sure to not show Levi your weaknesses. Then again, he's already seen you at your worst, essentially, while you were injured. Nevertheless, this is the first day of your newly-assigned scout regiment tenure, so you wanted to make a good impression.

You put on your uniform and jacket, still with the cadet corps crest plastered all over. You took a deep breath and walked out the door to courtyard, then entered the main building where the mess hall and offices were. It was a perfect day outside, nice for training and also getting acquainted with the grounds of scout headquarters.

You still had about ten minutes to spare, so you grabbed a banana from the mess and ate it on the way to Levi's office. You arrived five minutes early, and stood in front of his closed door, adjusting your uniform and trying to rid yourself of your nerves. As you were standing there, a familiar face walked down the hallway, and practically tripped upon laying eyes on you.

"(Y/N)!" Hanji said, raising her hand in a formal wave. "First day, huh?" She leaned into your ear. "If Shorty works you too hard, you can tell me. I'll annoy him extra for it!"

You laughed nervously. "Better not let him hear you calling him that. He might beat you to the ground."

"Ah, my little (Y/N) is already an expert on the captain." She gave you a firm pat on the back. "Well, have fun today! If you're not too pooped out afterward, swing by my lab in the evening!"

"I'd love to, Hanji." You said.

"Great! See ya then!" Hanji said behind her back as she walked away. Seeing her calmed your nerves a bit. You didn't know why you were so nervous to talk to Levi. You had spent so much time with him recently. This shouldn't be affecting you so much.

Trying not to overthink everything, you raised a hand to knock on his door. About half a second later, it opened, revealing the man in question. He looked the same as always, bored, tired, and a bit annoyed.

"Wow," he said, "three whole minutes early. Someone's a try-hard."

"Would you rather me be late, then?" You retorted, easily slipping back into your playful banter. He rolled his eyes. Maybe you were worried about nothing.

"Come on, we've got work to do." He said, moving out into the hall. You walked behind him. You were used to walking next to Levi, but now that you were at headquarters, and you were more established as his subordinate, it felt wrong to do so.

You wouldn't have known this because you couldn't see his face, but he was slightly disappointed you weren't walking next to him like you used to. But he understood why. For some reason, things felt a little tense between the two of you to him. He couldn't place why.

His head was so heavy with these thoughts that he forgot to take out his training plan for today, which he had left on his desk. There was no way he was going to let you know of this slip-up, so he tried to cover it up. As soon as you reached the small training ground at the back of the main building, he spoke.

"Wait here." He said. You decided not to ask any questions. You used the time to get in some warm-up stretches, assuming he would start with hard training straight-away. A few minutes later he returned.

"Good," he said upon witnessing you warming up. "I see you're still keeping up with your regular training regimen. I noticed the other cadets at the training corps taking after you even while you were out of commission." The captain took up conversation, hoping you wouldn't notice his slip-up. It worked.

"Yeah, I mean, it works out better in the end. Everyone should always start and end with stretching." You said, sitting on the ground and reaching to your toes.  
Levi soon sat down on the ground as well, much to your surprise.

"Wh-what are you doing?" You said.

"What does it look like, idiot? I'm not just gonna stand here and watch you work. I have a training regimen to keep up as well."

"Oh... okay." You said. As one of Commander Shadis's trainees, you weren't used to your trainer joining you in the exercising portion. You were just expecting Levi to stand and yell like the commander. You must admit this is much better. It felt less like you were just a rookie and more like you were a real member of the Survey Corps. And technically, you were just that. Even if you didn't have the uniform to show for it yet.

"Usually... Commander Shadis would just stare at us and scream." You decided to speak your mind; you had never shied away from talking to Levi honestly before.

He scoffed. "Do I look like that gross old man to you?"

Certainly not, you're much better looking... You wanted to say. Instead you just giggled.

The two of you spend the rest of the morning training together, going through a sheet that Levi had procured of specific things he wanted you to work on. He knew you were exceptionally fit already, but no one is perfect. Even he has weak areas. In the early afternoon, your stomach started to growl. You looked at Levi sheepishly.

"Sometimes, scout members have to go days without food." He said. Your jaw dropped. "But I won't subject that to you now. Come on, let's go get something to eat."

"Just a few minutes, please." You said, moving your position to do your cool-down stretches. Levi had forgotten, but you didn't tease him about it. You wanted to take a break from tormenting him too much, after what happened last night. He joined you in your stretching, then the two of you made your way inside and to the mess hall.

It appeared you had made a habit of coming to dining intervals late, because there wasn't another soul in the whole mess. You got some food to eat and sat down at a table with Levi, then dug into your food. 

He ate daintily, like he was at dinner with a noble or something. You thought it interesting how much he put into seeming proper. Everything but his attitude screamed royalty. It was almost as if he were trying to make up for something.

"So, Captain," you said, using his honorific just in case anyone was nearby. "Where are you from? You know pretty much my whole backstory, but I just realized I don't really know anything about you."

He seemed shocked you asked him that question, as if no one had ever asked him that before.

"I- uh, just a small village on the east side of Wall Rose. It's of no importance to anyone." You noticed his stutter, but this was different from when you made him embarrassed. This was because he was lying, and it was very obvious. But his discomfort showed you there must be a good reason for his lie, so you decided to not call him on it. You had made him feel uncomfortable too much recently anyway.

"Oh. So, how did you get to be humanity's strongest soldier?"

"Hard work."

"Do you think that I could ever get to your level?" You asked, still shoveling food in your mouth. He didn't act disgusted like he normally would.

"Maybe. If you follow my training and keep up afterward, I don't see why not."

"Cool." You said. Your curious mind took over. "So, what were your parents like? Do you have any family around here?"

He furrowed his brows and crossed his arms. "Why are you suddenly so invested in my life, huh?"

"Sorry." You said sarcastically, raising your hands in a 'surrender' position. "Just wanted to know more about you, is that a crime?"

"No."

"Then can you answer my question?"

"...No."

"Come on!" You whined. "I'll trade you some information, then. Ask me something invasive." You paused. "...But not too invasive."

He looked pensive for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak. "What's the most embarrassing moment in your entire life?"

You almost choked on your food as a specific moment was immediately called to your mind.

-

Your hands clutched your notebook, labelled 'sixth grade math.' You walked to school side-by-side with Mylius. The air was cooler today, but despite that you couldn't help from feeling hot. Today you had planned to confess to your crush after school.

Mylius told you not to freeze up, but that's exactly what was beginning to happen.

"Earth to (Y/N)." Mylius said, waving his hand in your face. You came back to reality and focused your eyes on him.

"I can't do this." You said, trying to turn around and go back home.

"You can't just skip school. Come on, (Y/N), we'll be late if we don't hurry." He grabbed your arm and practically pulled you all the way to the schoolhouse.

You took your seat in the desk, just two seats behind your crush, Alan. He was the most popular kid in your class, and basically all of the other girls had a crush on him, too. That's why you were determined to confess to him first. Absolutely zero percent of your mind could focus on the teacher, who was blabbering away about equations or something. All your attention was on your plan of attack after school was done.

Here is how the plan should be going down:

You meet Alan right inside the schoolhouse door, once most of the students have left already or are absorbed into their own conversations. You hand him a little note, that says 'I like you, do you like me too?' with the options 'yes' and 'no.' 

He would circle yes, and then the two of you would hold hands and walk out of the schoolhouse, making sure all the other girls in the class see the two of you. If you were able to snag the most popular kid, you'd bet set for life. You couldn't imagine the ranks you'd climb to.

Here is what actually happened instead:

After class was over, Alan got up to leave, surrounded by his group of friends. Almost everyone was still in the classroom. You decided it was now or never, so you called his name. 

He turned around, looking suspicious.

"I... have something... for you." You said, your voice almost breaking. Mylius stood a little ways behind you, trying to will some courage into you. It wasn't working.

Alan laughed a little bit and walked toward you, his friends punching him playfully on his arms, joining in on the chuckling. He waved them off. They still stood behind him, like they were his bodyguards.

You shoved your hand in your pocket, retrieving the note. It was a bit crumpled, which wasn't what you wanted, but you still thrusted it toward him. He raised his eyebrow and looked back at his friends, who shrugged. He took the note from your hand and unfolded it.

His buddies read over his shoulder. "I like you..." He started reading out loud quietly, but every kid's attention was on him. "Do you like me too? Yes or no...." He drew out his words for dramatic effect.

You were a blushing mess standing in front of him and his friends, and then, he started to laugh. Him and his buddies laughed for a long time, tears even started to form in their eyes. Then, he locked his eyes on you.

"Do I like you? What do you think, idiot?" He looked at the note in his hands, and then ripped it into pieces. "Of course I don't. What would I ever see in a screw-up like you and your messed up mom?" He threw the pieces of paper in your face, and then walked away.

"HEY!" Mylius yelled, stomping up to Alan from behind you. Tears were starting to form in your eyes. "Who do you think you are? (Y/N) is a great person! You should be lucky she even decided to like you at all! With your personality, I doubt you'll ever get farther than a little crush!"

*SMACK!*

Mylius was thrown to the ground, and Alan's hand remained suspended in the air, having just slapped him in the face. Alan looked surprised at his own strength. Him and his friends retreated before Mylius could retaliate more. But he wouldn't have gone in for a fist-fight anyways; Mylius fought better with words. And it seemed his had affected Alan.

You rushed to Mylius on the ground, thanking him and helping him up. He grumbled curses at Alan, and you watched as the boys went outside, the rest of the class slowly filing out behind them, supressing their laughter at the two of you. You and Mylius walked outside the schoolhouse, and mostly everyone was still there.

You took one step outside, and tripped, falling face-first into a pile of mud. As if this day couldn't get any worse. Though, it made most of them forget about what had just transpired inside. The whole class of students erupted in laugher at you, calling you names as you stood up and tried to remove as much mud from you as possible. It was futile. 

You elected to run home, as Mylius trailed behind you, trying to get you to stop. But nothing could stop you until you got to Mylius's house, not wanting your mom to see you like that. She would only worry. You asked Mrs. Thatcher if you could use her shower, and upon seeing you, she granted your request right away. Since you spent so much time there, you already had a clean change of clothes waiting for you.

You washed away the mud, but the embarrassment would always be with you.

-

And that's what Levi wanted to know about you. You were so lost in the thought you almost forgot to tell him.

"I'm waiting." He said.

"O-okay. Hm." You thought about how to summarize this story so it doesn't sound so bad. "So, I was in school and I had a bit of a crush on a classmate, so I wanted to confess to him after class one day. Basically, he laughed in my face and then left." You said.

"That's it? That's nothing. There has to be more to this story." He rested his head on his hands, eager to hear more from you. Your cheeks turned red.

"Ugh, okay, fine." Then, you told him the whole story, falling in the mud and all.

You thought he would laugh at the story too, but he just looked mad about it.

"He called you an idiot? What a piece of work." He said.

"Levi." You locked eyes with him. "You call me an idiot at least five times per day." You said.

"That's different." He said. He was right, it was different for some reason when Levi said it. "Where's this 'Alan' now? It sounds like he needs a good kick to the head."

You laughed. "We were like, 12, overlord, chill out. I'm sure he wouldn't act like that now. He's probably a farmer, or something." You were suddenly hit by a realization. "Or, more likely.... He's probably dead. His house was right by the outer wall."

Somehow you had forgotten about that detail. You had been harboring all this hatred toward so many of your old classmates. Most of them probably perished in the titan attack.

"Hey, now." Levi said with a soft voice, bringing his hand to your shoulder. "Don't get all existential on me. The sun hasn't even set."

You were glad he wanted you to stay happy-go-lucky, but part of you thought you really should spend time thinking about those losses. Who else would grieve them but you, one of the survivors from Shinganshina?

"So, are you gonna answer my question now?" You asked.

He retracted his arm from your shoulder. He sighed. "I have to, after that. My mom died when I was just a little kid, and my dad abandoned me soon after. I learned how to fend for myself. That's why I'm so strong." He said.

You had no words. But you didn't think you needed to say anything. Levi looked strangely at peace with what he said, but you could tell he still wasn't telling you everything. You didn't need him to, though. He would open up to you with time. He got up from the table, and you followed.

The two of you spend the rest of sunlight riding horses, because despite how much you tried to hide it, Levi could still tell you were not used to horseback riding. After a few hours you couldn't take it anymore, and begged him to let you stop. He warned you that scouts need to be on their horses for extended periods of time, so you would be working on this tomorrow as well, which made you groan. You weren't looking forward to that.

~

You were able to join Hanji for dinner, and then you accompanied her to her lab afterward, where she talked your ear off about titans long into the evening. You loved her company and her knowledge, for that was one of the reasons you wanted to be a scout, but you still had one thing left you wanted to do today, so you bid her goodbye and goodnight after a little while. You made your way a few steps down the hallway to Levi's office, and you knocked, hoping he'd be inside.

A few seconds later the door opened, revealing the man. "Back for more, already?" He said smugly.

"Ha ha. I'm here to hold you up on your end of the deal. I want to write a letter to my friends."

He opened the door wider, and gestured for you to come inside. His office was exceptionally clean, not a smudge or speck of dust anywhere. It was a much different feel from his dim quarters at the training grounds. Oddly, that room suited him better.

He pulled out the seat across from his at his desk like a gentlemen would do, then he took his place in his chair, opening a drawer and taking out some writing supplies. He slid them across the desk and in front of you, then took out some of his own paperwork to do while you wrote.

You thanked him for the supplies, and then started your letter.

Mylius,

Today I had my first day of real scout training. It's a lot different training with the captain than with Commander Shadis. He actually trained with me, and did everything I was doing, instead of just watching and yelling.

I also got to meet Section Commander Hanji, who is an absolute riot to be around. She's so full of energy, and she knows everything there is to know about titans. I keep hearing other people call her crazy, but she makes me feel welcome here, so I like her a lot. Also, I met Commander Erwin Smith briefly, and he seems nice. It's kind of hard to read him. I wonder how Silva would interact with him.

I don't have many juicy details for you yet, but stay tuned. This place is interesting.

I miss you guys a lot. I can't believe it's only been one day. I can't wait till you all graduate and join me here. Thankfully I have Hanji and Captain Levi, but still. It's not quite the same without you. Let me know how you are all doing. Have you made a move on Altiena yet? And how are Silva and Renko? Let me know what's going on with all my friends.

With love,  
(Y/N)

You folded up the letter three times. But then you remembered what Levi said a few days ago about making copies, and you created a replica of your note, editing part of the one you're sending to tell Mylius to make copies too. Then, you sealed it in an envelope and addressed it. You looked up at Levi. "Where do I put mail I want to send?"

"I'll take it. It'll go out with my mail." He said, holding out his hand. You placed the envelope inside.

"Thanks." You started getting up to leave.

"Wait, (Y/N). Just a minute." He said, getting up and going into a room on the right. You glanced at what was inside, and it looked like a bed. That must be where he sleeps, if he even really does that. He came back a few seconds later holding two pieces of fabric, then held them out to you.

It was a jacket with the wings of freedom crest on it, accompanied with the signature green overcoat all of the scouts have. For some reason, seeing the garments made your eyes tear up.

"Stop looking at it and just take it." He said in monotone, and you retrieved it from his hands. He put a hand on his hip. "Well? Put the jacket on, at least. You're a scout now."

For some reason, him saying that now felt different now that you had the proper clothes. You rid yourself of your cadet jacket, throwing it to the ground. Levi scoffed, picking it up to gingerly fold it and lay it on the desk. You slipped on the new scout jacket. The two items of clothing were nearly identical in shape, but the fact that this one had the wings of freedom plastered all over made it feel completely different.

You spun around a little bit, enjoying the feeling of new clothes. Levi rolled his eyes.

"Thanks." You said.

"It's getting late." He said. "I'll walk you to your quarters."

You thought it strange that he offered to walk you to your room, but you weren't about to complain. You would take any opportunity to hang out with Levi at this point. You walked beside him now that there weren't many other soldiers out and about to see the two of you.

Your mind still dwelled on the uncomfortable conversation you had at dinner. You knew Levi appreciated your straightforwardness, so you decided to be honest with him.

"So, I could definitely tell you were still not telling me the whole truth about your family and everything when we were having dinner, even after I told you my most embarrassing moment." You said.

He didn't respond.

"I just want you to know that I'm not trying to dig up your dirty past, or anything. If you're lying to me I'm sure you have a good reason to. Plus, if it's something bad and you think I'll judge you for it, I promise I won't. I always judge a person based on their present actions, and what they're doing in the now. Judging someone based on their past is stupid." You said, honestly.

He took a deep breath as the two of you walked out into the courtyard and into the brisk air. "I think it would be pretty hard to not see me differently after I told you what my past was really like."

"There's very little you could tell me that would change my view of you, Levi."

He sighed. "Hard to tell. Not like I've told anyone else, anyway. Erwin's the only one who really knows my past, and that wasn't even my choice."

"Well, I won't ask you any more questions if you don't want me to."

"Yeah." He said. "I think... if you stick around long enough, eventually I might be able to tell you."

"What do you mean, if I stick around long enough? I'm part of the scouts now. This has been my dream since I was a little girl. I'm not going anywhere."

"But you haven't even fought any titans yet."

"I've seen them in person before. And, you said it yourself, I'm skilled." You paused and lightly punched Levi on his shoulder. "Don't lose your faith in me now, you've already helped me get this far. I don't plan on leaving it behind.

"Yeah, okay."

"Don't tell me... are you worried for me?" You said. "How sweet!"

"Tch. I don't worry about anyone."

"Sure." You said, smiling. The two of you reached the door of the barracks, and he walked you into the hallway and to the door of your room. You opened the door, and flopped onto the bed, and Levi took his place leaning in the doorway just like he had last night.

"It's late. You should get some sleep now." Levi said.

You laughed. "Look who's talking!"

He scoffed. "I don't need to sleep to be the strongest. I have tea."

You just chuckled at his response. The man really didn't sleep, huh.

"Well Goodnight then, Levi." You said, sitting up on your bed to look into his eyes.

"Night. Go to sleep now, I'm expecting you at the same time tomorrow morning." And with that, he closed the door.

You hadn't realized how truly exhausted you really were from the day, because you were so stimulated with all the activities you were doing. Your body shut down and you fell asleep right then and there on the bed, not even bothering to change into sleep clothes.

-

Each day from then on was largely the same. You spent the daytime training with Levi working on general fitness, ODM gear skills, and horseback riding, then afternoons and evenings in Hanji's lab, and the either tried to train more or just hang out with Levi. About a week later you performed your ritual knock on Levi's door, and he opened it almost immediately, as if he knew you were coming at that time.

"You got mail." He said.

Your eyes lit up. "Let me see!!" You said, and he handed you an envelope between two of his fingers. You ran to the chair opposite his desk and eagerly sat down, ripping open the letter and taking it out.

(Y/N),

I'm so glad you made it there safely, and that the scouts aren't all as scary as the captain is. Tell me, is he working you too hard yet? How is training going?  
Section Commander Hanji sounds really interesting. I can't wait to meet her once I graduate. Sadly that'll take a while. But I'm holding on.

Everyone misses you a lot. But on the bright side, it means that when Altiena gets sad about missing you, she comes to me. Then I tell her some embarrassing stories about you and she gets happy again. Thanks for being my cannon fodder.

Renko and Silva are acting really weird around each other, like we all didn't witness them kissing and being embarrassed. They really don't have anything to hide, but they're acting like they have little secret crushes on each other. None of us have the balls to tell Silva to make a move like she would do to us, though. I wish you were here so you could torment her about it with us, since you really got the brunt of her teasing about the captain. Are there any developments with that, by the way?

I'll keep you updated if anything else is happening here.

Miss you,  
-Mylius

You clutched the letter to your heart, happy that you got a response from your best friend. Levi looked up at you from his desk.

"What, you want to read it or something?" You said.

"Tch. I don't need to hear your little cadet gossip letters." He said.

You just laughed and set the letter in a drawer that Levi left empty for you, which housed the copy of the first letter you sent. You were glad Levi showed no interest in reading your letters, because you were wanting to put private information in them. You grabbed a new piece of parchment and thought about what to write back to Mylius.

Mylius,

Training is actually going really great. I feel stronger already, and I'm getting a lot better at riding the horses without being sore afterward. I hope you are all doing well over there with Shadis. I feel like maybe I could even rival him in a fight by now.

Renko and Silva need to get their acts together. If you don't step up, I'll have to do something like forge love letters and send them to both of them. Wouldn't that be fun? Maybe you and Altiena can come up with a way to set them up, and then it would be a perfect opportunity for you to spend more time with her. I think she would love doing that for Silva, too.

How's Ella doing? I know that she was always the quietest of all of us. Is she still hanging around with all of you? I don't want my absence to break the group apart. Please make sure everyone's still being included.

Miss you,  
-(Y/N)

You copied the letter for your records and then sealed one in an envelope and addressed it, sliding it across the desk to Levi.

"Thanks." You said. He walked you back to your room again, which had sort of become the norm now. He would always walk with you, then lean in the doorway for about a minute to make some snarky comments, then he'd leave.

You liked the routine you'd built up, and you couldn't wait to get even stronger. Each day you felt more and more like you belonged here. 

~


	6. "Letters"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This will be a collection of letters spanning two years between you and Mylius. This chapter will be used to take the place of a hard timeskip. It's still important to read for the story. The two of you send almost weekly letters, these are just a few 'random' ones.

October 10, year 845  
(Y/N),

Today Altiena and I told Renko to make a move on Silva, but I don't know if it really did anything. We cornered him after dinner and had Ella distract Jun, since those two boys are inseparable. I think that's going to be the main issue, is getting Renko alone. I'll keep you updated on what's happening with them.

In other news, I feel like me and Altiena are getting a lot closer, too. She still misses you a lot and comes to me to ask about you, so I tell her some of the stuff you say in your letters. Also, Ella is doing well. She actually started keeping a journal so that she can document her training and everything.

The three girls have been worried they would be set up with a new roommate or something since you're gone, but that hasn't happened. It's a good thing, too, since they use your space as extra storage.

Can you ask Section Commander Hanji what the biggest hidden weakness of titans is? I want to have some kind of brownie points when we start classes.

Miss you,  
-Mylius

•

December 29, Year 845  
Mylius,

I picked some flowers in the courtyard at headquarters and pressed them in a book so that I could send them to you guys in this letter. There's one for each of our friends. Please make sure everyone gets one.

Hanji told me on Christmas Eve that Levi's birthday was the next day, so naturally I freaked out. He doesn't seem like a materialistic guy, and he already has his fair share of the brand of tea that he likes, so I had no idea what to do for him. I asked around headquarters to see if anyone had a guitar, and thankfully someone did. It just happened to be the guy that gave me a hard time on my first day, Raoul.

I dug up some old memories from music class in elementary school to figure out how to play the birthday song, and then the next day I played it for him. And guess what? I managed to make him smile. Please spread this knowledge around to our friends. If I'm going to be remembered for anything, it should be this.

Right now I'm missing you extra. I keep thinking about the grand dinners your parents would make for us during this time of year.

With Love,  
-(Y/N)

•

February 25, year 846  
(Y/N),

Big news!! Altiena and I finally got Renko to confess to Silva on Valentine's Day! Ella, Jun, and the two of us hid around the corner and watched them, but then they started kissing... and we had to look away and find something else to do.

They seem a lot more comfortable now, back to being normal, just more lovey-dovey. I prefer them like this than all nervous and embarrassed like they were before, though. Your idea with the love letters actually played a part in this too, since Altiena and I forged some.

Today, I tripped on my face and all the recruits laughed at me, but Altiena came to my aid and treated me almost like how Levi treated you when you hurt yourself. But I'm not bedridden, I just have a scratched-up face, so I don't get any time off from training. Also, Shadis mentioned you for the 5,000th time since you've been gone. He keeps holding you up as this star student or something, which to be honest isn't far from the truth. You kinda set the bar really high for everyone else, though.

Missing you,  
-Mylius

•

June 18, year 846  
Old buddy,

Happy birthday!! I hope for my life that this lands on time for the 24th. I'm kicking myself because I can't be there with you, and the best I can do is send this letter. Anyway, I convinced Levi to draw a picture of me in my scout uniform, and that's enclosed in this letter. It took a lot of convincing, but I did it. Did you know he was such a good artist?

Tomorrow I'm going out with Hanji to look in-depth at the walls. I don't really know why, but she has some funny feelings about them. She also keeps saying she wants to capture some titans in order to study them. I think that would be really difficult, but think of all the scientific advances we could get from studying them up close with little to no risk involved!

Levi says that my advanced training is almost over, and that I'm now pretty much on the same level as any fully-trained soldier. It feels great to know that, but I kinda wish I had another excuse to spend all day with the captain. Oh well. Hanging out with Hanji is great, too.

You're 19 already, dude. We're getting old. Love you lots.

-(Y/N)

•

November 6, year 846  
(Y/N),

Your plan for getting Altiena and me together worked. That hill was really a perfect spot to watch the sunset from, and I'll spare you the mushy details, but basically we're dating now. Silva and Renko are still going strong, and I think Ella has eyes for one of the other cadets here.

The other day I thought about when we were kids and you told me your ideal dating type was tall and blonde. Did you change your mind?

Now that all your friends are together, it's time for you to start being selfish. When are you gonna finally make a move on the captain? There's literally nothing to wait for now.

Love you,  
-Mylius

•

January 2, year 847  
Mylius,

Today Levi told me that I'm a "master ODM worker" now. I am writing this down for the history books. This day will be remembered as the day Captain Levi complimented someone.

I swear I'm gonna go insane with all my work. I thought maybe I could spend more time with Levi by just hanging out in his office, but now I'm here so much that he trusts me to handle some of his paperwork. I'm happy to help and all, but I'm coming to realize it's a lot of work. This is probably why he doesn't get any sleep! Though, maybe if I'm helping him, he might have time for it now. But between working with Levi and keeping up with Hanji's research, I'm pooped.

I've started to gain some respect around HQ too, and people don't see me as just a rookie anymore. It feels nice.

I don't think I'm gonna make any 'moves' on Levi. I'm not even sure if I like him like that. He was nice to me and that's it, right? I feel different around him but he's so weird that anyone would feel different around him regardless of a silly crush. But I'll let you know what's happening.

Miss you,  
-(Y/N)

•

April 15, year 847  
(Y/N),

Get your butt going and do something about this romance. You literally won't shut up about Levi. Please say something to him and get moving. Silva called it from the very beginning.

Anyway, I love you, and please don't be mad at me for being harsh. I just want you to be happy like all of us are. Not like you need a man to be happy, but you know what I mean. Even though I haven't seen you in over a year, I'm still your best friend and you better not forget it. It's clear to me that you like Levi and you just need to get over yourself and do something about it. I'm getting impatient here.

With lots of love,  
-Mylius

•

August 23, year 847  
Mylius,

BIG BIG BIG NEWS! Levi trusts my expert opinion so much that he's sending me to the training corps to check out recruits in a few weeks!! I think it might also just be because he knows that I miss you guys, and he's being nice.

I still haven't told him that I like him, but I feel like I'm making it really obvious. He always makes me tea when he has some, and I'm always hanging around him, and of course Hanji could tell too. She's known for a while apparently that I like him. Since she's the only other person besides Erwin that's really close to Levi, I asked her if she thought he might like me, but she can't tell. She did say that he doesn't talk to anyone else like he talks to me though, so that's something.

I think that I want to tell him soon that I like him, but it will have to wait for after I come back from being with all of you. I don't want to confess to him and then up and leave.

I'm so excited to see you all again. Love you so much.  
-(Y/N)

~


	7. Chapter 7

You knocked on the captain's door twice and waltzed in, seeing him already sitting as his desk with two cups of tea, one set on the side of the desk you sit at. You plopped down in the chair and sighed, loudly.

He looked up from his paperwork. "Yes?"

"Oh, man..." you flopped your arms onto the desk, "I love Hanji, but sometimes I just want to rip my ears off of my head."

"Yeah, well. That's how she is, (Y/N). Thought you'd know that by now." He said. "Anyway, I appreciate you coming here, but I don't really have any more paperwork for you to do for this week. So enjoy your work-free weekend."

Your eyes lit up. "Whoo!" You pumped a fist in the air like a child, even though you were two decades old. You relaxed in the chair, and took the cup of tea in your hands, careful not to spill. Levi pushed aside the last piece of paperwork he was working on, and then finished off his tea.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. Levi had no problem being comfortable and lax around you, and the feeling was mutual. It was strange because you worked your hardest around Levi, but then you also were able to relax around him. You enjoyed the versatility of your relationship.

"I'm going to be turning 21 soon. That means we can get wasted together, cap." You joked.

He brought a hand to his face to cover his eyes. "Ugh, I'm getting old." He groaned.

"What do you mean, 'getting' old? You've been there for a while, overlord." You said. He chucked a balled-up piece of scrap paper at you.

"How are your little friends doing at the training corps? Did you tell them you'll be there yet?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well, to my knowledge they're the same. And yeah, I wrote to Mylius that I'm coming soon. What is it, two weeks until I head out?"

Levi nodded. "Then you'll have to make sure to write letters to me when you're there."

"Does that mean I'll actually get my own supplies finally?" You asked.

"...Yeah." He said. He seemed a bit disappointed, like you gave off the impression it was a hassle to come to him to write your letters. But that was not your intention.

"Not that I don't like coming here, Levi. You know this is my favorite part of the day." You could swear his eyes sparkled a bit when you said that.

"Mine... too." He said.

"Aww. How nice. Who could have imagined Captain Levi enjoying another person's company?" You teased.

"Tch." He rolled his eyes.

The conversation lulled, and you started looking around his office, which rarely changed. That means the slightest difference stood out that much more. And it did. Under a neat stack of papers, you saw a couple of detailed drawings that Levi must have done, but it was of people you had never seen before. The two portraits depicted a girl with brown hair in pigtails, and a man with blonde hair.

You let your curiosity get the better of you. "Who are they?" You said, pointing at the two drawings on his desk. He practically ripped them off the surface, quickly hiding them from your sight.

"No one."

"Oh, come on. You can't pull something like that and not expect me to be suspicious. But if you want me to leave it alone, I will." You said.

He nodded. You got up from you seat and moved to Levi's side of the desk, and opened one of his drawers. This one was pretty much designated specifically for you, since it only housed your letters and some books that you read in his office during downtime. You rarely ever spend any time at all in your room alone. You chose one of the books from the drawer and took your seat again.

You cracked it open to the page you last left on, and devoted all of your attention to reading. Levi went back to leaning back in his desk chair and closing his eyes. Eventually you noticed his breath regulating and developing into soft snores. He was actually sleeping.

Time passed like nothing, and pretty soon it was well after midnight. You didn't realize how fast the time went because you were so engrossed in your book, but Levi's snores subsided after a while, and he got up to make the two of you some more tea.

When he returned, you were suddenly aware of the time, which was about 2 AM. "Oh, Levi, I'm so sorry. It's late, I should be out of here." You closed the book and started getting up, but he interrupted you.

"It's fine. You can stay if you want." He said. He looked like he wanted to say something else, so you returned to your seat, but didn't open the book back up again.

You stared at his pensive face, admiring the person you'd looked at the most in these past couple of years. It felt so natural to be around him, you wondered if he thought the same thing, too. When you first met he was abnormally comfortable around you, but that feels like nothing compared to how he is now. Hanji had even noticed that his attitude has changed toward a lot of other people, too. Could that all be because of me? You thought.

You had changed so much since coming to headquarters. Your hair was much longer, your muscles had developed incredibly thanks to Levi's training regimen, and you felt like you had matured a lot because of the people you've gotten to know here. He looked the same as he did the first time you met, his black bangs still barely resting at the level of his eyes. It gave him a dramatic effect that most other people didn't have. His stony, grey eyes looked the same as well, still surrounded with dark eye-bags. But it worked on him. The still image of him reminded you of something.

"Hey, Levi?" He looked up at you. "Do you remember when I was having those weird dreams about a voice calling to me and then some weird stuff happening?"

"I recall you telling me that it was my voice in your dream, too." He said. You had hoped he forgot that awkward detail. Curse his great memory.

"Yeah, well, I just realized. I haven't had that dream in a long time. I can't remember having it since before coming to headquarters, in fact. What do you think that means?"

"When was the last time you had it?"

"Come to think of it, it was the time I passed out on the training grounds, and you came to me. If you can even call that time a dream. That time was almost like... like the dream came to life. Maybe that's why I stopped having it; because it came true." You said, thinking out loud.

"Are you saying I fulfilled your dreams, (Y/N)?" Levi said with a small smirk, leaning his chin on his hands.

"I mean..." You started, legitimately taking that consideration into serious thought. "Maybe. I mean you did kind of fulfill my aspiration of becoming a scout member. So, that would kind of make sense."

Levi exhaled sharply. "You're strange." He said.

"I learned from the best." You said, teasing him.

"Who, Hanji? Yeah, you're right."

"No, dummy, I meant you." You laughed and threw the scrap of paper back at him that he had hurled at you hours before. He caught it in his hand and gave you an unimpressed look. You just shrugged.

And then his gaze softened, like he was seriously considering something. He was silent for a few seconds, and you didn't dare interrupt his thinking process. Then he reached below into one of his drawers, pulling out the two portraits of the people you asked about earlier. You wondered where this could be going. He flattened the drawings out on the table, facing them toward you, but he kept his eyes locked on them, as if he didn't want to face you just yet.

"This is Isabel. And this one is Furlan." He said, pointing to each portrait respectively. "They were my best friends."

You were shocked into silence at the realization that Levi was actually divulging personal information to you. You attributed it to to the late hour and his apparent tired state.

"H-hey, you don't need to tell me if you don't want-"

"I want to tell you." He said, lifting his eyes up and locking his gaze with yours.

"Alright," you folded your hands on the desk, "I'll listen to anything you want to say, then."

He looked back at the portraits. "Furlan was the most loyal person I'd ever met. He was reliable and strong, and didn't judge me and the way I like to do things. Isabel was sickeningly optimistic. She tried anything to get me to be proud of her. She called me 'bro.'" His voice broke a bit when he said that. But he continued on.

"We... ran a gang together- the three of us." He stopped, thinking about something. "..Let me start from the beginning. Barely anyone knows this, but I'm from the Underground." He looked at you, expecting some kind of harsh reaction, but there was nothing on your face but concentration. "You're not, say, disgusted or anything?"

You blinked. "Why would I be?"

He furrowed his brows. "Well, the Underground is a filthy rat-hole that only vermin crawl out of."

"Clearly not." You said. "I don't see vermin in front of me. I see a polished and honorable man who's obsessed with cleanliness."

He was shocked into silence at your reaction.

"Levi, I think you've overestimated how much I would be affected by where you're from. Knowing you're from the Underground doesn't make me see you any differently than I did ten minutes ago."

"I ran a gang. I committed terrible crimes." He said, looking at his hands.

"So? Who you are now is what matters to me. Clearly you're not proud of who you used to be, so you changed yourself for the better. That's a great quality. If anything you've got me holding you in higher respect now. If you were able to overcome all that crap from your early life, you're way stronger than I originally thought."

Levi didn't know how to process all of your positive affirmation. Obviously he was expecting you to turn away from him.

"O-oh. Okay." He paused. "Well, I'll continue then." He said.

"And don't keep expecting me to up and leave or something. That's not happening." You said, shaking your head.

He nodded. "So, I was born in the Underground to a prostitute named Kuchel. I... never knew my father. I was still a child when Kuchel died, and then some guy named Kenny showed up out of no where." He took a deep breath.

"Kenny raised me to fight for myself on the street. Just as I was becoming strong enough to handle myself, he walked out on me- left me out there on my own. But I wasn't weak anymore."

You could see Levi clenching his fists on the desk. You reached one of your hands to lay on top of his, and he relaxed a bit.

"Isabel, Furlan and I were given a job to do. We were to infiltrate the scout legion and take some vital information from Commander Erwin, and then kill him. We'd be granted full legitimate citizenship to live above ground. I wasn't about to let that chance go. So we let ourselves get caught by the scouts one day when they chased us on our own illegal ODM gear."

"We had to go on an expedition with the scouts outside the walls. I tried to convince Isabel and Furlan not to come, but they were determined to stay with me. No amount of arguing could have changed their minds. When we were out there... it started raining. I saw this as my chance to assassinate Erwin. So I went ahead of the group. I made it to a clearing of a completely slaughtered battalion, with one soldier using his last breath to point behind me. I had passed the titan without noticing it."

"I... went back to where it was headed, and... I didn't make it in time. I saw their bodies torn apart... my best friends." His voice was breaking and he had to stop talking for a while. You didn't say anything.

He regained his composure. "It was an abnormal titan. I watched as it finished off my friend, and I lost control of myself. I went on a rampage and killed it, making sure it suffered. Eventually Erwin showed up and saw me at my worst. I tried to fight him, but it was futile, and I was too overcome with grief."

He took a deep breath. "He told me not to regret the decisions I made. So I didn't."

Your hand still remained on his. "Wow, Levi, I.. I would have never known. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me all of that. It must have been hard."  
He let out the breath he was holding, and a single tear ran down his cheek. You instinctively removed yourself from sitting, and moved over to his side of the desk. He looked up at you from his chair. Then, he propelled himself forward and enveloped you in a hug.

You were completely taken aback. Levi had never initiated any physical touch like this before. It felt like it should have gone the other way around, like you should be the one holding on to him. You gently wrapped your arms around his waist as he buried his face in your neck, letting out a quiet sob.

You had never expected Levi to act this way, but for some reason it filled you with relief. You couldn't imagine not being able to let out your emotions to anyone. He needed this more than you knew.

You had had your fair share of nights crying in his office as he awkwardly comforted you about some kind of trivial matter, or crying over not seeing your friends. But this was completely different. You held him tight for what felt like forever, and his body shook as he wept. At this moment you were suddenly aware of his small stature. You knew he was short, but this was the first time he seemed small. And it was probably because that's how he felt.

After a long time he let his arms drop, but he still rested his forehead on your shoulder. His shaking had subsided and his breaths became more regular, only the occasional sniff occurred. You let your hand pet the back of his head, like you would do to comfort a child.

Finally he lifted his head, bringing his eyes to meet yours. They were red and puffy, an image you thought you'd never see. The dark circles around his eyes were especially pronounced, and his cheeks were shiny with the remains of tears.

You offered him a small smile in an attempt to comfort him. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"You don't need to say anything." You said. "It's fine."

His eyes searched yours for a few seconds before he looked away. You could see a red tint rushing to his face, and you were suddenly aware of how close the two of you were even though you weren't hugging anymore.

"Thanks." He whispered.

"For what? You finally told me your story. I have to admit that I had been excruciatingly curious this whole time. I'm glad you told me without me having to pry it out of you, which I wouldn't have done anyway."

He sighed. "Thank you... for being understanding. And..." He raised his hand to cover his eyes. "for letting me... cry on your shoulder." He said with a raspy voice, each word leaving his lips as a separate entity. It seemed saying that caused him immense pain. As if it was incredibly hard to admit that he had emotions.  
"Well, you've let me come in here and cry all the time. It's the least I could do."

"That's different." He said. "I'm your superior officer, It's part of my duty to be there for my men. But you... you have no obligation to let me fall apart in front of you." He let his hand drop from his face and turned toward you again, your bodies still so close. Neither one of you dared back away, though.

"That is true..." You said. "But the way I see it, you're not just my superior officer. I've felt like this from the beginning. You're one of my friends, Levi. And that's where my first duty lies. It's not because of your military ranking that I hang around you all the time, and I think that's pretty clear. I hang out with you because I like to be with you."

His eyes narrowed. "The last time I had friends... I lost them." He said. "I can't let that happen again."

"That doesn't mean you have to keep yourself from having friends. Sometimes..." Your thoughts drifted to your mother. "Sometimes there's only so much you can do to keep the ones you love around. But ultimately it's for fate to decide. Life is unpredictable, but that doesn't mean we should just be safe and not take any risks. You can't keep holding yourself back, or you won't really feel like you're living."

He just stared at you.

"Are you sure you're younger than me?" He said, letting out a smirk. It warmed your heart to see that his mood had lightened. "You sound wise beyond your years right now."

"Well, maybe I am wise."

He chuckled. Your heart nearly exploded at the sound. It was barely anything, but you felt like you had just run a marathon. Levi told you his backstory, initiated a hug, and chuckled in your presence. Today must be a full moon or something.

Levi leaned against his desk, half-sitting on it. "Well, I'm an open book, now. You know everything about me." He furrowed his brows. "That feels strange." He looked at his hands. "I feel... vulnerable."

"Welcome to being a human, Levi." You laughed. He rolled his eyes. You were back to your regular banter with him, but only for a second. Soon, the mood changed again when he looked at you with a serious gaze.

"Hey, I know I told you to go and check out the training corps, but now... I kind of don't want you to leave." Levi must be feeling extra honest at this late hour.   
"Not that I don't trust you to make good decisions, I just... Not even Erwin knows this much about me. To just let you leave... I-"

"What, you think I'm gonna go and announce these things to people? Who do you take me for?" You accused.

He just looked at you in shock.

"Levi, it took you almost two whole years to tell me anything. Do you really think I would just sever your trust like that? There's no way I'd tell anyone about this. I won't even tell Mylius. I promise." You said. His gaze softened.

"Y-yeah. You're right. I'm just being paranoid." He stuttered.

"You really gotta hold some higher standards for people."

"I've known too many people to do that." He said.

Suddenly a wave of drowsiness came over you, and Levi noticed. You almost fell over onto the desk, if he hadn't caught you. It was definitely time to get some rest. But just the thought of you having to walk all the way to your room at this time was unbearable at this point.

It was like Levi could read your mind. "You can sleep here tonight, (Y/N). The barracks are too far away, and I don't want to risk waking everyone up from walking in the halls at this ungodly hour. Come on." He slung your arm over his shoulder, much like when he used to help you around your cabin at the training grounds when your ankle was hurt. It brought you back. He brought you into the room on the side of his office, which you had never been inside before. You had only seen it through the doorway. Levi gingerly set you down on the bed, which you noticed was queen-sized. He helped you remove your jacket, and then you took off all your straps and your boots.

There was rarely a greater feeling than removing your uniform after a long day, and you had almost forgotten that Levi was in the room, or you would have continued taking off items of clothing. He noticed you were just left in a button-down and your uniform pants, which aren't exactly ideal for sleep. He rummaged in a drawer and pulled out a soft t-shirt and pants, which were clearly his.

He thrust them toward you. "Here. You can go change in the bathroom." He gestured to the small room to the side. You wordlessly obeyed, going into the room and stripping off your shirt, pants, and bra. You slipped on the soft shirt and pants, hugging yourself gently, taking in the feeling of the soft material on your skin. Knowing it was Levi's clothes made things a bit more exciting, too. But you couldn't just stand in the bathroom enjoying yourself for too long, or the captain would get impatient. You opened the door, immediately noticing that he stood in just a pair of pants, and your eyes immediately magnetized to his eight-pack abs that were proudly on display for you.

Your whole face turned completely red, and you spun around, cursing yourself and repeating the word 'sorry' over and over. He put his hand on your shoulder and turned you back around, forcing you to face him.

You had seen him shirtless before- on hot summer days he would often remove his shirt while you were training. But in this context it was completely different. You tried not to ogle at his defined, muscular body, but it was too much. You elected to lift your eyes at the ceiling.

"Are you having a stroke or something?" He said. There was no way he wasn't noticing your behavior. "Come on, just get in bed. You need to sleep."

How on earth am I going to be able to sleep next to this gorgeous, shirtless man? You thought. You wanted to scream, but you just followed his instruction and got under the covers, wrapping yourself up in the sheets. You closed your eyes and pretended he didn't exist while he mulled around the room, spending time in the bathroom for a few minutes, then coming back out and turning off the lights.

You were almost asleep when the bed shifted next you due to his getting situated under the covers. You were glad you were facing the other way so that he couldn't see how embarrassingly red your face was.

"Goodnight, (Y/N)." He mumbled, his voice muffled by his pillow.

"Goodnight, Levi." You said, your voice unnaturally high. You hoped he wouldn't notice, and much to your relief, he didn't say anything.

It took a long time for you to calm down, but thankfully Levi didn't toss and turn too much, so you could pretend like he wasn't there. You were able to drift into a nice, peaceful sleep in the captain's bed.

~

The sun shone through the cracks in the blinds onto a fuzzy image of Captain Levi laying on white sheets in front of you, his eyes closed. He looked so peaceful like that. 

What a nice dream.

His hair looked so soft, and it's very existence was almost begging you to touch it. This was just a dream, so you obliged to the wills of your dreamscape. You slowly brought you hand to his face, brushing away strands of hair from his closed eyes. You ran your fingers gently on top of his raven-black hair, tracing your fingertips down his jawline and to his chin. His skin was flawless- this man looked like he had never aged a single day.

This was your favorite kind of dream. It felt like you had no responsibilities, and you could just stay under these warm covers forever, admiring the man in front of you. You would have very much liked for that to be the reality. You let your hand remain gently caressing his face. You felt like you were floating on a cloud, and nothing could bring you down from this dream. Soon, the man stirred and his eyes slowly opened, immediately meeting yours. It was a good thing this was just a dream, or you would retracted your hand with such force that you might hurt yourself.

But instead you kept tracing your fingertips across his cheek. He just blinked at you, barely keeping his eyes open, letting them adjust to the light. You smiled at him and whispered. "Hello there, Levi."

His stare became rather intense. "Good morning." He mumbled, his voice raspy from sleep. This dream was awfully realistic.  
"Silly Captain..." You said. "It's not morning yet. I'm still dreaming."

His breath hitched, but you didn't notice. She thinks this is just a dream...? He thought. He pursed his lips to keep the evil smirk from reaching his face. He quite enjoyed your apparent touchiness, though he did feel a bit bad since you thought it was all a dream. Maybe he'll play along for now, and save you the embarrassment for later.

He looked at your smiling morning face and felt warm inside. That, and the fact that your bodies were so close made him feel even warmer. For some reason, he also liked the fact that you were wearing his clothes. But he tried to push the thoughts away, deeming them inappropriate. Maybe the best thing to do was to get you to fall back asleep.

Levi brought his hand to hold yours against his face, ceasing your movement. You let your arm relax. Then, he did something you knew would only happen in a dream. He started singing.

It was a tune with no words, just the sounds of his barely-awake voice plucking out notes in 'hm's and 'la's. It was heavenly. His singing voice was like nothing you'd ever heard before. It was so unique and beautiful, you wanted to stand up and cheer for him. But your body was too tired to move, so you let your eyes close and enjoyed the music escaping his lips.

The sound of his voice lulled you back into a dreamless sleep.

~

When you awoke, you were greeted with the sight of your hand laying on empty sheets, where a person must have been. Suddenly your memories came flooding back. You had spent the night sleeping in the Captain's bed, but you remember sleeping facing the other way. You retracted your arm and brought it under the covers, praying you didn't do anything strange while you were sleeping.

Your eyes lazily scanned the room, then landed on Levi sitting at the foot of the bed, his back toward you.

You grumbled. "Good morning." You said.

"Finally." He scoffed. "I thought you were out for good."

"Ha." You feigned an annoyed tone. "I, uh... I didn't do anything weird last night, right?"

He turned around to face you. "What do you mean, weird?" He was trying to egg something out of you, you knew it.

"Don't make me explain, please. Just tell me."

He folded his arms. "No, you didn't do anything weird." You sighed in relief. "Get up, it's almost noon."

That's right. You went to be really late last night, which is the reason why you're even here in the first place. You hoped you weren't being a nuisance to Levi. You'd hurry up and leave his quarters as soon as possible to get out of his business. You stood up and smoothed down your hair, then retreated into the bathroom, changing back into your uniform. Imagine what the other scouts would think if you had walked out of the captain's quarters wearing his clothes. Part of you wanted to test that, but the larger part of you said 'absolutely not.' You folded up the borrowed clothes and tucked them under your arm, and you walked out of his bathroom.

"I'll wash these for you." You said, indicating to the clothes you were carrying. "Thank you.. for letting me sleep here. I probably would have just collapsed on the way to my room last night." You laughed awkwardly.

"No problem." He said. Then he muttered something else under his breath.

"Huh?" You said, cupping your ear. "What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"Levi, stop doing this to me, you always mumble something and I never get to know what it is!" You whined.

He sighed. "I said... Feel free to sleep here anytime." He turned his face away from you. "Happy?"

You were shocked. Was the captain saying suggestive things like that under his breath the whole time? Your thoughts were running a million miles a minute in your head. It wasn't uncommon for him to say informal, teasing things once in a while, but it was completely different in this new context. You could feel heat rising to your cheeks. It seemed the captain had also grown uncomfortable; his face sporting a light blush because of your prolonged silence.

"Yes!" You practically squeaked. "Uh, I mean- s-sorry. Thank you, I meant." You slapped yourself in the face, leaving your hand covering your eyes from him. Not being able to bear it anymore, you rushed out of the room and into the hall.

"You're... welcome." Levi managed to say after you had already ran out.

You were incredibly thankful that most other soldiers would be in the mess hall right now and not witnessing you and your messy bed-hair waltzing out of the captain's office. Needing sustenance though, you popped your head into the mess and grabbed the first fruit you could find, then left briskly. You practically ran to the barracks, getting inside your cramped room and shutting the door, your heart pounding wildly.

You learned from Levi that the best way to clear your head was to clean, so that's what you did. You did your laundry, dusted every surface, mopped the floors, and cleaned the windows. As you were hanging up wet clothes, including Levi's borrowed garments, you wondered what Hanji might be doing today. Saturday was usually her day for larger experiments and studies, and you liked to hang around her when she did that. You decided you'd head over there as soon as you were done hanging up the clothes.

~

Levi was dumbstruck standing in his office after you had just rushed off. However, he still had a schedule to upkeep, so he prepared himself for an early-afternoon jog after having some lunch. He sat down with Hanji who was sitting at an empty table.

"Hi." He said.

Hanji practically screamed. "Wooaah, Shorty! You said hi to me! Did you win the lottery or something? What happened to you? You look great!" She said, spreading out her arms.

"Shut up." Levi grumbled.

Hanji snickered. "You seem different, today. Be real with me, did something good happen to you?"

"No. I'm the same as always. Leave me alone." Levi ignored her, focusing on his meal.

"Hey, buddy, you came over here and sat with me willingly." She said, raising her arms in the air.

"And I can leave just as easily."

Hanji laughed. "Yeah, but you won't. By the way, have you seen (Y/N) today? She usually stops by my lab on Saturday mornings."

"She was in my office helping me with some work." He said.

"No fair! Stop stealing my (Y/N) from me!" Hanji whined.

Levi scoffed. "Your (Y/N)? She's not an object, you know."

Hanji folded her arms. "I know. Anyway, I've got to get back to my lab now. I hope she joins me soon if she's done helping you." She said, getting up to leave. "See ya later!"

Levi finished up his food and went outside, performing some warm-up stretches before starting his run. He had recently discovered a new route through the meadow that opened to a small, secluded field of wildflowers. For some reason, the flowers reminded him of you. He stopped next to a nice looking cluster of them and plucked them from the ground gingerly, admiring their beauty.

Their light-blue color varied from flower to flower, some of them looking darker blue and some presenting deep purple. It seemed every time he came here there were more of them. It must have been an invasive species, taking over any space available to it. They were so pretty that he didn't mind, though. Maybe that's why they reminded him of you.

You were an invasive species in his mind, crawling into every open space. His mind was all but completely consumed by you, especially after last night and this morning. He was glad that you didn't remember your 'dream.' That might have made things even more awkward between the two of you. Whenever something like that happened, you seemed to run away from him, and he didn't know why. He knows he's not the best when it comes to this kind of stuff, but the last thing he wants you to do is leave. Eventually you always come back and return to your comfortable, non-risky relationship, but he always wondered if those moments were on your mind as much as they were on his.

You were an invasive species but in a good way. He could tell that you were slowly changing him. He became more trusting, and even Hanji had noticed a difference in him. He wished she hadn't though. He wasn't comfortable with being so easy to read. It made him think about your old friend Silva from the training corps. That group would be graduating soon, and he wondered which of them would join the survey corps.

He never told you, but you weren't the only person he had his eye on at the training grounds. Mylius, Silva, and Renko proved to be promising candidates for scout membership. It just so happens that you were on a different level, so you got to join earlier.

Part of Levi's trail took him near the back of your barracks, where he could see you hanging up wet laundry, including his own clothes. You seemed deep in thought, so you didn't notice him. He considered stopping to talk with you, but he didn't want to get off-track from his training. He continued on his way.

After he was finished running, Levi showered himself and changed into his regular clothes. Wildflowers in hand, He approached your building, walking in and up to your door. He knocked three times, holding the wildflowers behind his back.

Nothing.

He knocked again.

Still nothing.

He rarely ever used the key to your room; only a few times when you had forgotten early-morning training. He unlocked your door and swung it open, revealing your room, but you were not inside. She must have gone to Hanji's already. He thought. He looked around the room and admired its spotless cleaning job, and he felt proud.

Even when he entered your room to get you up for training, he never looked around in it. This was really the first time he could see it, because the other times he's here is dropping you off in the dark.

He looked back behind the door, which was covered in papers tacked up on the wall. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that each of the papers were one of his drawings. Some of them were ones he had given to you, but he noticed that others were slightly crumpled, indicating that he had thrown them away. He thought it a bit strange that you dug through his trash to retrieve a piece of art, but it was mostly endearing. There was one in the center that especially caught his attention, the paper especially crumpled and the edges yellowed. It was the drawing you had made as a child, but it was turned over to display the recreation that he made and gave to you the morning you woke up in his bed at the training grounds. He laughed to himself at how similar that was to this morning.

His eyes scanned the other drawings on the wall. Many of them were of her, random other people, and a few were attempted self-portraits. He noticed that a few of the ones depicting himself had crude hearts drawn around the edges of the paper. He blinked. He may not be very familiar with how romance and crushes work, but he's pretty sure that is a behavior of someone who thinks of a person as more than friends. Not wanting to read too far into it, though, he shook his head and leaned back.

He started to feel creepy standing in your empty room alone looking at your stuff, so he left the bundle of wildflowers in an empty vase on your dresser, which housed some of the books he had lent you. He filled the vase with a little water before leaving your room, making sure to lock the door on his way out.

He took a deep breath, wondering what to do with all these things he was feeling. So much had happened in so little time, it felt like he was having years taken off his life with all the stimulation. He hoped you were faring better than he was. 

~

You knocked on the door of the Section Commander's office. You heard some crashes before the door swung wide open, the madwoman grabbing your shoulders and pulling you inside. 

"You're here!" She exclaimed. "I need your assistance today, (Y/N)! You've come just in time..."

You laughed. Her excitement never failed to help you get your mind off of things. "Alright, Hanji. What do you need me to do? I am your second pair of hands." You said, putting on a pair of work gloves.

She brushed papers off of her desk and shoved down her microscope, identifying certain things and asking you for your inputs as well. Hanji wasn't all just titan-crazy; she also loved general science and chemistry. The woman would regularly subject you to helping her with random experiments and tests, and today was no different. You loved to help her, though. Any gained knowledge is important knowledge. Hanging out with Hanji was like having a class with a cool teacher that never gave homework. It was ideal for you.

You spent a good portion of the day doing various scientific tests, going through different hypotheses and changing variables. You were Hanji's main recorder of events, so she relied on you to take detailed notes of her experiments. This allowed her to be fully engrossed in her work as you made sure you weren't missing any key elements.

But even Hanji gets worn out of herself after a while. She plopped down in her chair and shoved the microscope aside, careful not to mess with any precariously-placed chemicals.

"So...." She said, a glint in her eyeglasses. "What was with Levi this morning? He was acting different than usual."

Your face turned red.

"Aha!" She exclaimed, pointing a finger at the sky. "My hypothesis was correct!"

"Does everything have to be an experiment to you?" You groaned.

"No, my dear." Hanji said, folding her hands in front of her face, hiding her knowing grin. "But I do know a thing or two about the science of attraction."

"W-what?" You stammered. "Hanji, what do you mean?"

"Well, I already know about your little crush on the captain. So that's my independent variable. The dependent variable was Levi's feelings. But after today, I believe my suspicions have been confirmed."

"W-wait. You don't mean-" You stuttered.

"Our overlord has a little crush, (Y/N)." She purred. "Don't think I didn't notice you didn't show up this morning like you normally do. That, and Levi told me you were in his office this morning 'helping him with work.' But I know for a fact that he finished up all his paperwork because he reports it to me. I can see through his lies."

You were dumbfounded. She continued.

"Of course, he could have been lying and you weren't really with him this morning, right? But when Levi lies, he always tells a half-truth. So I think you were really with him, but not helping him with work. Is that correct?"

You nodded.

"I don't need to pry on what the two of you were doing, but hey. I'm no stickler for work relationships-"

"W-we weren't doing anything inappropriate! I-uh, I was in his office late last night feeling sad about missing my friends, and then it was so late in the morning he... he offered to let me sleep there instead of trying to go all the way back to my room. I was in there so late this morning because I went to bed late. Th-that's all." You managed to get everything out. You knew Hanji knew part of Levi's backstory, but you didn't want to tell her that's what you were up so late talking about.

"I see." Hanji adjusted her glasses. She loomed over you, upping her intimidating factor. "Well, it's not really any of my business. I'll only give you my opinion if you ask."

"I don't mind." You said. "Actually, I would love your opinion. Please help me."

She laughed maniacally. "Oh, my bright-eyed pupil. Let me enlighten you. I will have you know that I am indeed an expert on not only titans, but also human emotions. Based on my meticulous calculations, our dear captain not only has a crush on you, but he's full-on-head-over-heels for you."

You were shocked into silence once again.

"Let me explain. Levi would never offer to let someone stay in his bed, or even in his office overnight. I have never seen him act like this. And today, when I saw him at lunch time, his face was glowing. He still wore the same bored expression, but I could tell something about his morning was exhilarating to him. Naturally, he wouldn't tell me even if I begged to know, but his half-lie told me everything."

She continued. "Furthermore, he lights up every time I mention your name. Every. Single. Time. Without fail! What does that say to you?" She shoved a balled fist in front of your face, as if she were holding a megaphone up to it. After your incoherent stammers, she gave up on you. "I will tell you, young one." She leaned in up to your ear. "It's love."

You pushed her away, not believing what you were hearing.

"Of course," she continued, "We'll never know for sure unless the man himself says something about it. So, you could either wait for him to grow some balls, or you could confront him about it."

"I-I have been thinking about doing that..." You managed to get out. "But now that I'm leaving to watch the trainees, I would rather wait until after..."

She clapped her hands together. "Perfect! That gives him time to miss you. Then, when you come back, you can have a romantic reunion! This will be wonderful." She started laughing evilly again.

"Ha... yeah.. maybe you're right." You said. "I had planned to say something to him after I came back... My best friend Mylius has been nagging me about it since forever."

"It's a plan, then?"

"Not fully formed, but yes. A loose plan." You said.

Hanji talked your ear off for a little while longer until it was time to go back to your room to sleep. You took your time strolling through the grounds, enjoying the nice evening air. You wondered what Levi was up to all day. Hopefully he had a more relaxing day than you did.

Opening your door gave you a little hint as to what Levi did today, because there was something in your room that wasn't there before. There were pretty blue and purple flowers in the empty vase on your dresser. There was no doubt in your mind that it was Levi that put them there, unless you have a secret admirer. But even if you did, you knew it could only have been Levi, because he has a key to your room. You always make sure it's locked when you leave.

A wave of realization came over you once you thought about the state of your room. You were glad you cleaned it, so you weren't worried about that, buurbut you remembered the drawings plastered all over your wall that you can't see when it's nighttime. He could never see that wall since it was on the side with the door, and he almost always stayed in the doorway when he came to your room. But if he came far enough in your room to prepare a vase with flowers... there was no way he didn't see the wall of his illustrations.

He undoubtably saw the crumpled-up drawings, which means he knows you dug through his trash to get them. There was no way you were letting such beautiful art go to waste, so you can reasonably excuse yourself for that behavior. But he most definitely saw the illustrations of himself- which you had foolishly adorned with heart drawings. That would be harder to explain away.

Tomorrow was Sunday, letter-writing day, and it would be weird if you didn't show up to Levi's office bright and early like always. Sometimes if it was nice out, he would take you out on a walk after tea. You wondered if tomorrow would be one of those days. If it was, there was no escaping a conversation about your wall.

But Hanji agreed that it was a good idea to wait until after you came back from the training corps, so you really wanted to hold out until then. You'd have to find some way to avoid telling him you drew hearts around the drawings because you like him. That wouldn't even be a very romantic way to confess. The other part of you was just saying hurry up and confess. But it's been two years now... it's not like you're in any kind of rush. It's been a slow burn kind of thing.

Your thoughts dwelled on Hanji's revelations from tonight. If Levi really did like you, or even love you, his actions would make a lot of sense. He doesn't spend time with anyone nearly as much as you, and he does things for you that he'd never do for anyone else. You went through the list in your mind.

First of all, he carried you bridal-style during your training when you got injured. He stayed with you and cared for you, even offering a special early draft to the scouts. He lets you use his stationary, and you've actually seen him deny other people of the same privilege. He makes sure you're doing well with your training. He actually compliments you once in a while. He gives you books to read and entertains you when you're bored.

He lets you hug him, and he lets you come in his office when you want to cry. He's made you laugh countless times. He's even offered you a few smiles. He chuckled.

He told you his backstory, admitting that it was more than anyone else alive even knew. He hugged you and sobbed on your shoulder. He let you sleep in his bed. He went in your room when you weren't there and left you flowers.

If those weren't the behaviors of a lover, you didn't know what were. Of course, some of them were specifically tailored to him. Most people who smile at you aren't interested in dating. But when Levi smiles, the whole world lights up, almost like it's too powerful for mortals or something. If Levi smiles, something incredible is going on.

You were aware of all of these things the whole time, but thinking about them all at once started to make it painfully obvious that Levi is interested in you in more ways than just as his subordinate. When you met Levi, you thought maybe the closest you could get to him was being in his elite squad, which he's basically assured you a place in already. But now it looks like you might be able to go way beyond that.

If Hanji's suspicions were correct, you were in for something wonderful. All of the signs are pointing to it. You just wished the timing were better.

For now, you'll remain the same as before. Great friends who go on romantic morning walks and chat for hours every day. That's normal, right? Before Silva, Altiena, and Ella, your only real friend was Mylius, and your friendship was so atypical it's hard to base other friendships off of it. So you were just flying blind.

Luckily for you, so was Levi.

~

You knocked on Levi's door, eager to receive the letter from Mylius that was surely awaiting you. You were aware your last letter contained the good news of your impending visit, so you were especially excited for his response this time. 

Levi cracked open the door. His hair was disheveled and he wasn't dressed, wearing just lounge pants and a t-shirt, and he looked pale. A look of worry came across your face and you scrambled inside, closing the door behind you. You looked at his unkempt state. You had never seen him looking like this before. He was always completely put-together. There could only be one solution.

"Levi, are you sick?" You asked. 

"Tch." He cleared his throat. "I have a perfect immune system. I don't get sick." He said. You would have almost believed him if he didn't immediately erupt into a violent coughing fit after saying that. 

You could feel a dark presence behind you, and you carefully opened the door. 

It was Hanji. She pushed her way in the room and placed her hand on Levi's forehead, causing his eyes to widen with pure rage. Before he could punch her, she retracted herself and straightened her posture, facing you. "I believe the captain has come down with a fever," she said, "which is most unfortunate. I'm sure he would have loved to continue believing he was impervious to sickness." She said matter-of-factly. 

Levi seethed with anger behind her. "I'm right here, four-eyes. Why are you talking to (Y/N) like she's the only one here?"

Hanji turned around and locked eyes with him, bending down to his eye level. "Because if I tell this to you, you won't listen. (Y/N) listens to me when I'm talking sense." She returned her attention to you as Levi grumbled curses behind her like an angry little kid. "Anyway... usually when someone gets sick they're sent to the infirmary, but I have a feeling Levi wouldn't like that." He shot Hanji a glare, but he did agree with her nonetheless. "It just so happens that I have errands to run today. So I'm leaving the responsibility up to my favorite student."

You tentatively raised your finger to your face. "Me? What do you want me to do?"

"Just make sure he isn't killing himself in here. You know he's going to try and still go about his normal business. You're one of the only people who can tame this creature." She said, as if she didn't fear death. Levi's eye twitched behind her. "I'm leaving it to you, (Y/N). Do me proud."

You could see now why she elected to have her back face Levi, because she offered you a sly wink with that last sentence. 

"Bye-bye! Have fun, kids!" She said, leaving the two of you alone in his office. 

"UGH!" Levi exclaimed, kicking the leg of a chair. "I can't believe this. All that work to get this far, and for what? I haven't been sick in years!" He continued kicking the chair, and you rushed toward him, grabbing him by the shoulders. 

"Stop! Levi, calm down. It's just a fever, it's not the end of the world."

"Easy for you to say. You don't have foreign harmful bacteria floating around in your body making you feel like crap." He said, shuttering. 

"Everyone gets sick once in a while. You're no exception. Come on, let's get you back to bed." You said, grabbing hold of his hand and pulling him toward the door of his bedroom. His feet didn't budge. You pulled harder. He still wouldn't move. 

He turned his face downcast so that his eyes were covered in the shadows of his hair. "Can I at least... make some tea first?" He mumbled. 

You sighed. Of course that's what he's concerned about. "I will make you tea. After you get in bed, okay?"

He groaned. He liked his tea made in a very specific way. You had only made him his tea a few times before, and that was with his close instruction. Eventually you coaxed the man back into bed, and he waited patiently while you prepared tea for the two of you. He looked sad when you handed him the cup. 

"Sorry." He said. 

"What are you apologizing for?" You asked. 

"I-I feel helpless. You don't deserve to be doting over me like this. I shouldn't even be sick in the first place." He lamented. 

You furrowed your brows. "You seem to forget that you spent the first two weeks of us knowing each other watching over me while I was bedridden and injured. And I'm helping you because you're my friend, not even because Hanji asked me to. I would have taken care of you either way. Surely you can accept that, so just suck it up and let me help you."

"Yeah, okay." He grumbled. The two of you enjoyed your cups of tea in comfortable silence, only interrupted by several of his coughs and sneezes. Levi groaned again after a while. "This is stupid. What a waste of a good day." He said, looking out the window.

"Stop overreacting." You said. "You can't expect yourself to never get sick. You have to account for margin of error with these things."

"Yeah, but I don't get sick. Why do you think I'm so anal about germs and making sure things are clean?" He complained. 

You sighed. "Well, you can't control everything. All you can do now is just accept it. And please try to get some rest, will you?"

"Sure, I'll try." He leaned himself down into his bed covers. "You got a letter, by the way. Don't let me keep you from enjoying that part of your day."

You gently pat him on the head. "Thanks. And you're not keeping me from anything, Levi. I came here to spend time with you. Now, try to get some sleep. I promise it'll help you get better faster."

He grumbled. "I know that." You got up to close his blinds so that the room was darker when you left. You walked out of his bedroom and into his office, leaving the door open a tiny crack. On his desk you could see the familiar stationary labeled with your name under Levi's. Your letters always had his name on them since they were sent to his office. You sat down on your usual spot at his desk, gingerly opening the letter and pulling out the tri-folded piece of parchment covered in your friend's handwriting, then you smoothed it out in front you and began to read. 

(Y/N)!!!!

That's amazing news! I told everyone and we are all super excited to have you here! Do you realize that you're also going to have your birthday while you're visiting us? We have to throw a party for you. Shadis even caught wind of your return, and he almost seemed pleased for a second. 

Altiena wanted me to ask you if you still wear the necklace that we gave you before you left. I'm assuming you do, but she wanted me to ask anyways. We have so much to talk about when you get here. Is Levi coming with you? To be honest, I wouldn't mind meeting up with him again. He seemed mean at first but it sounds like he's really changed from the way you talk about him. 

When I told the girls you were coming back, they said they would move their crap out of your old space in their room. Shadis said you would be offered the captain's quarters since you're coming as his representative, but I wanted to let you know the option to be with the girls is there. 

Let me give you an update on how we're doing with training. Renko, Silva and I are aimed to be around the top ten of the class, I think. Altiena might be there as well, but she's set on the scouts, so being top ten doesn't exactly matter. Ella and Jun are doing alright, but they just don't have the same drive as the rest of us. Every time Altiena, Renko, Silva and I talk about joining the Survey Corps, Ella and Jun don't really participate with the same fervor. I know Ella kind of had her mind set on the garrison since day one, but I thought maybe we could change her mind. 

But when I think about it more, the more friends of ours join the scouts, the more worried I get. I've been worried for you the whole time, but I know that the regiment isn't really going out and fighting titans right now. But I know the day will eventually come. Anyway. I'll save the deep talks for when you're here.

I can't wait!!! I love you,  
-Mylius

You held the letter up to your heart like you had so many times after receiving word from your best friend. You even let a tear escape your eye because of how happy you are to be able to see them soon. You excitedly reached for a new piece of paper to write a letter back to Mylius.

Mylius,

After you receive this letter, I'll be with you guys soon. Also, I will definitely be taking you up on the offer to stay with the girls while I'm there. Sometimes it's nice having my own room, like I do here, but I miss being with everyone too. 

Tell Altiena I still wear the necklace every day. How could I not? It keeps me thinking of you guys. It's kind of funny whenever someone I haven't met asks what "MASE" means, and sometimes I start telling funny made-up stories to them, like I had a pet rock named Mase and I never want to forget him. Sometimes people think I'm weird, but they're really not that far from the truth. 

I'm surprised you seem interested in meeting with the captain again, but he will not be joining me when I come. He's got his hands full with work to do, and he'll especially have more because I won't be there helping him. I remember when we got to HQ the first time, he was holed up in his office for weeks just powering through paperwork whenever we weren't training. 

I'm so happy to hear that you guys are doing well with training! Who do you think is gonna be number one? And yeah, I'd rather have those 'deep' talks with you in person, now that we know that's happening soon. I can hardly wait.

See you soon, old buddy.  
-(Y/N)

You sealed and addressed the letter after making a copy for your records, then laid the finished letter on the desk. You got up to put the copy in your designated drawer, then noticed a thin layer of dust on one of Levi's bookshelves. You knew he would be absolutely livid if his space wasn't clean, and having a dirty environment wouldn't be good for his recovery, either. 

You peeked into his bedroom to see if he was properly resting, and he appeared to be. His body under the covers moved slightly with slow breaths, indicating that he was indeed sleeping. Confirming that he was doing fine, you closed the door and began cleaning his office, organizing papers on his desk, dusting his shelves, and mopping the floor. You knew if something was going to be able to cheer him up, it would be a clean office. You did your best to clean well without making too much noise, but it was to no avail. The captain was awake in the next room without your knowledge. 

He laid on his back, listening to your soft footsteps just past the closed door. Despite you having closed the blinds in his room, the area was still bright. He felt useless. You were cleaning his office for him, and he didn't even order you to.

I don't deserve her... he thought. He let his mind wander about you for a while. He tried to picture you walking around his office, meticulously cleaning his things the way he likes it to be done. You had been exceptional at adopting his strange behaviors and replicating them. The tea you made for him tasted no different than when he makes it for himself. The few other times he's let others make him tea, he almost wanted to spit it out. He wondered how you could put up with a man as particular as he was. 

His thoughts drifted to what he saw in your room yesterday, what with the little hearts drawn around his portraits. He rattled his brain, trying to think of some way that someone could argue you didn't do that because you have a crush on him. In a way he wished he'd never seen it, so that he wouldn't be so confused. But your other actions could be a sign that you actually might like him as more than a friend. 

For one thing, you come to his office willingly practically every day, just to spend time with him. No one else does that- people always have a reason they're coming to him. 

He thought about how much the rest of the regiment must know by now that you are his favorite person here. Usually when other people come to talk with him, you're lounging in his office reading or helping him with his work. People had to have noticed this by now. 

You hadn't turned him away when he told you his backstory like he expected. You were just as attentive to him, and you didn't judge him. You saw him at his most vulnerable state, and you stayed with him. The only thing that makes you run away is these awkward unintentionally romantic moments. But he's not always the one inciting them. 

His eyes were closed as he was deep in thought, and you had finished cleaning his office, so you came back into his room and sat beside his bed, thinking he was still sleeping.

You studied his peaceful face, and began to hum a tune. You weren't sure where it was from, but it was in your head nevertheless. Only a few moments after you started humming, you remembered where you heard it first. It was from your dream you had of laying in bed with Levi. You remember him singing it for you before the dream ended. But if you heard the tune in your dream, it had to have come from somewhere... but you couldn't figure out where. 

You continued humming, admiring the sleeping man's face. But after a few seconds, his lips started to move, and with a gravely voice, he started speaking. "(Y/N)... How do you know that song?"

You felt a blush creep on your cheeks. You didn't think he would wake up because of you. Little did you know, he was awake the whole time and just enjoying your presence. You didn't have time to think of a creative lie, so you told Levi the truth. 

"I... had a dream the other morning and you were in it, and you sang the song in my dream. That's the only thing I can remember about it."

He exhaled sharply and lifted his arm to cover his eyes. "(Y/N), would you believe me if I said that wasn't a dream?"

You said nothing. How do I even respond to that? Suddenly you remembered almost every detail about the dream-or not a dream. You were all over Levi, touching his hair and caressing his face like an old lover. Your face became beet red, and you were glad Levi was shielding his eyes from you. 

"You woke up and I said good morning to you, and you told me it's not morning because you were having a dream. I didn't have the heart to tell you it was actually morning. You seemed really into... touching my face, and stuff." Levi was almost dying of embarrassment at his own words. You weren't doing much better. 

"I'm so sorry..." You whispered. "So I did do something weird..."

"It's fine." He cut you off, removing his arm from his face. "I-I quite liked it, actually." He tried to look you in the eyes, but you couldn't bring yourself to face him. This isn't good. You wanted to wait until after you got back from the training grounds to confess to Levi. That would give you some time to hang out with your friends, and like Hanji said, it would be good timing when you came back. Things were progressing way too fast right now, and you couldn't handle it. 

"L-let's just focus on getting you better, okay? I-I can't talk about this right now..." You hoped that he wouldn't take what you said the wrong way, but the look of disappointment on his face said otherwise. 

"Sure. Later, then." He said. The two of you came to an agreement, but it wasn't even really clear on what the agreement was. 

For the rest of the day you remained with Levi, until Hanji came back at night and checked on him. He wanted so badly for you to stay with him, but he didn't have the guts to say anything about it. So you got back to your room, exhausted. Tomorrow you'd have to go through your regular training regimen and help Hanji with some of her work. 

~

You decided one of the best ways to help Levi would be to keep him company and try to do as much of his paperwork for him as possible, and that's what you spent the rest of the week doing while he recovered. Pretty soon, it was the day before you left for the training grounds. 

Part of you was incredibly excited to be seeing your friends again, but the other part of you was upset about not being able to see Levi. But you pushed the thoughts away. You hadn't seen your friends in almost two years, and you had spend the majority of most of those days hanging out with Levi. Being apart for a week won't kill you. 

After some swift goodbyes from Commander Erwin, Hanji, and a recovered Levi, you were off to the training grounds. 

~


	8. Chapter 8

"(Y/N)!" Mylius yelled, running up to you as you rode up on your horse. He ran desperately toward you from the stables, where you could see the rest of your friends gathered up, all looking in your direction.

You practically fell off the horse, eager to see your friends. Mylius tackled you in a tight embrace, and soon Altiena joined you, along with the rest of your friends. Jun made sure to set up your horse in the stables while you took in the embrace of your friends. It had been almost two years since you saw them, and they all looked like they matured a lot. You took a step back and admired all of them, tears forming in your eyes. 

Mylius had tamed his crazy curly hair, opting for a shorter haircut that still left him some length on the top. Silva looked largely the same- still sporting her raggedy bobbed hair. Altiena had let her hair grow out a bit, and it was still just as wavy as it was before, and she had grown a few inches as well. You didn't have much time to take in the appearances of the others before your eyes were swelled with tears, and Mylius took you in for another hug. 

"I'm so happy to see you guys..." You whimpered. They all smiled, and Altiena sobbed. 

"It's been so long!!" She cried. "I missed you so much, (Y/N)! I need to tell you so many things!"

"Me too. But I'm starving. Can a girl get a bite to eat around here?" You said. 

"Anything for our esteemed guest." Silva joked. "Let's go. I'm sure the other cadets are eager to see you, too."

As you entered the mess hall surrounded by your friends, all eyes turned toward you. There were a couple of hushed murmers, but then one cadet you barely recognized exclaimed "(Y/N)'s back!" and the place erupted into cheers. You had no idea they all remembered you, much less liked you this much. Mylius jabbed his elbow into your side.

"Thank you, everyone! I'm glad to be back!" You said, waving. You waited until they quieted down. "I'm happy to see all of you, but I am here on behalf of business." You cleared your throat and they all looked at you attently, like you were their commanding officer. "I am here to evaluate you and look for the best soldiers. I know some of us have not met-" You looked over to a group of younger cadets, who definitely were not there when you started, "And I am eager to see what you all can do. But don't feel intimidated by me! I was once one of you, so you can treat me the same as you always did."

They all still looked at you, seeming to expect a new command. 

"Uh, you can go back to eating now." And they obeyed. You were not used to this kind of power. At HQ you were bottom of the barrel, even though you were basically Levi's right hand man. This would be a new experience for you. 

Before joining your friends for dinner, you needed to report to Commander Shadis that you had arrived. You walked up to him and he gave you a proud smile.   
"Welcome, (Y/N). I trust you'll find some worthy candidates for the scout legion here." He said, holding out his hand and giving you a firm handshake.   
"Thank you, Commander. They seem disciplined. I have no doubt these will be some fine soldiers." You remarked.

His eyes became dark. "They'd better be." He said. That was a bit unsettling, but you bid him farewell and returned to your old dinner table, which was full of your friends. They had left an empty spot for you between Mylius and Silva.

You spend the evening hanging out with them, talking and playing games much like you did the night before you had to leave. You stayed up late into the night talking, which wasn't a problem for you, but your friends did have training tomorrow. You followed the girls back to your old cabin. 

"It's gonna feel just like old times, eh (Y/N)?" Ella said. You nodded. 

"I'm so happy! Too bad we can't stay up all night and talk." Altiena whined. 

Silva laughed. "Yeah, just like old times."

As you laid in your old bed, you remembered that most of your time spent here was sitting with Levi. It was like the roles were reversed from the previous week where you had been taking care of him. You remembered how he took you to see the sunset on your birthday. That would happen in a couple days, now. You were glad you got to spend your 21st birthday finally reunited with your friends. Part of you wished Levi could be there too, but you'd get to see him when you got back. You'd always wondered how you'd act around Levi if you were a bit intoxicated. 

Sleep eventually reached you, and you were able to rest for the night, lulled by the quiet snores of your friends. 

~

You awoke to the sounds of the girls mulling around the cabin, sleepily getting themselves ready for the day. You got up and got dressed too, and your friends marveled at your scout uniform. You hadn't worn it yesterday when you showed up- you just came in regular dress clothes. So this was their first look at you as a real scout.

"Wow, (Y/N)! You look so fancy with the wings of freedom all over you!" Altiena beamed. 

You laughed. "Yeah, well I guess I'm kind of used to it now. I've had this way longer than the training corps jacket." You thought about your old jacket, which has just been hanging in your room not being used. 

"I'm gonna rock that jacket when I get there." Silva said, pumping her fist in the air. "I've almost outgrown this one."

"Hey, the garrison's crest is just as nice." You said, glancing at Ella, who was most likely feeling uncomfortable about the trajectory of the conversation. Her eyes lit up when you said that. 

"Yeah, the roses are a nice touch." She said. 

"Yeah! I love roses!" Altiena exclaimed. 

"Guys, we gotta go. We need to eat something before training starts." Silva said. "Let's go."

The four of you walked out of the door, you tagging along in the back of the group. The three girls carried on with their banter, and you just watched. Renko and Jun joined the group. It seemed like they had been waiting by their building for the girls. Mylius soon caught up and joined in walking with you. 

"So, does it take you back?" He said. 

You smiled. "Yeah. It honestly feels like I never left. If you guys didn't look so different..." You ruffled Mylius's hair and he pushed your arm away. "Maybe I wouldn't have noticed anything at all. This all feels so normal to me. But then again, scout headquarters feels normal to me, too, now."

"Well, I don't know about all that, but I'm glad you're feeling at home. But you can't spend the whole time just hanging out with us. You do have a job to do, remember?"

You elbowed him in the side. "Yeah, I know. Look, Levi assigned me this, he had to know I'd be spending time with you guys."

"Yeah. Guy's a big softie." Mylius laughed. The two of you finally caught up to the group and joined them for breakfast, then everyone headed out and started doing warm-up stretches before Shadis called them to attention. You stood on the sidelines and walked around the grounds, watching each soldier with intent. Ingrid was great with endurance. Jacob excelled with agility. Silva had nearly perfect reflexes. Mylius was a natural leader. You jotted things like this down in a small notebook you carried with you. 

You noticed great improvements from the cadets who were there when you were, but you were especially interested in the younger recruits. You had noticed the most recent addition, because the kids were so young. The military must be getting desperate if they're having children join the ranks this early. A group of three of them caught your attention right away, and after training, you approached them. 

A girl with raven-black hair leaned against a wall, while a blonde kid and a kid with brown hair drew things in the dirt with a stick. You walked up to them, and the blonde kid scrambled to his feet and saluted. 

"Sir!" He practically squeaked, his voice breaking. 

"Hello," you said, "I'm (Y/N). You don't need to be so rigid around me. What are your names, cadets? And where are you from?"

"Armin Arlert, Sir! A-and we come from Sh-shinganshina district!" The blonde kid said, still rigidly holding his salute. 

"Ah, so we have something in common. I also lived in Shinganshina." You said. The kids just gave you knowing looks, not wanting to prolong that conversation.  
"Mikasa Ackerman." The girl said quietly, lifting her scarf to cover her mouth. Ackerman...

"I'm Eren." The brown-haired kid said. You noticed him on the training ground especially because he was so loud. The kid wouldn't shut up about defeating the titans. He kind of reminded you of yourself at his age. "Eren Yeager. Hey..." He glared at your collarbone. "What's... MASE..?"

"Eren!" Armin scolded. "Don't be rude!"

Mikasa spoke. "What's MASE?"

Armin didn't scold her. She must be the strongest of the group. Not like you didn't already notice when you watched them train. It was incredibly apparent that Armin was basically inept in every physical sense, and Eren was only surviving because he was pushed by his determination. But Mikasa was something else. She was naturally skilled in everything. And another thing. Her last name was Ackerman. It would make a lot of sense for her and Levi to be related, since she shows a lot of the same attributes as him. Cold, distant, and respected. She was also rather pretty. That checks out.

"M.A.S.E." You separated the letters. "Each letter stands for one of my closest friends. Mylius, Altiena, Silva, and Ella."

"Are those the people who are always talking to you?" Eren asked. 

"Yeah. They'll be graduating soon." You answered. 

"Why are you friends with them, if you're already part of the scouts?" Mikasa asked. 

"Well, I started training with them here, but I was offered early membership in the scout legion. So I've been working there for a while."

"Amazing! You must be really skilled, then!" Armin beamed. 

Eren groaned. "No fair! People can get into the scouts early? And I gotta go through all this training?" He lamented. 

"Well, it's not like I skipped all the work. I still had to complete my training, just in double-time." You said. 

Armin's eyes shined with astonishment. "Wow..." He said. 

"So why are you back here, then?" Mikasa asked. 

You huffed. "Guys, I announced it in the mess hall last night at dinner when I got here. Don't tell me you don't remember."

"Oh." Eren pointed a finger in the air. "I know. We just weren't listening. I think that's when Jean decided he wanted to pick a fight with me."

You crossed your arms, trying to channel some kind of authoritative state that Levi would have used in this situation. "Next time you don't listen, there will be consequences." You said menacingly. You could see the blood drain from the two boys' faces, but Mikasa remained unfazed. "I am here to evaluate you cadets and see who would be good candidates for the scout legion."

Eren's eyes lit up and got to his feet. "I'll show you who's scout material!" He pumped his fist in the air, and Armin smiled and joined him in the theatrics. 

"Yeah!" He cheered.

You laughed. "I'll be the judge of that. You'd better impress me, Yeager." 

The boy gave you a determined stare and a smile that could have killed a hundred titans. "I will." He said. 

~

The next day you watched as each new cadet got themselves situated with their first time using ODM gear. Eren was struggling, and you felt your presence would probably only make him feel worse, so you told yourself now was a good time to write a letter to Levi. You made your way to the cabin where Levi stayed when he was here, which had a nice view of the training grounds when the window was open. There was still a nice supply of stationary on the desk, and the room itself looked the same as you remember. You took out a fresh piece of paper and started writing. You told him of how your friends were doing, some general thoughts about promising cadets, and other random stuff.

For some reason you felt like you could say bolder things when it was just in writing. You don't have to deal with his flustered response, which only makes you more flustered. This method was kind of ideal for flirting. You copied the finished letter down on another sheet of paper and put it aside to where Levi would have kept his correspondence when he was here. You folded, sealed and addressed the letter, then walked out of the building to Shadis's office, where the courier was. 

The poor guy, Miller, was tasked with riding back and forth every single day just to deliver yours and Levi's letters. Levi ordered this specifically so that he could have express correspondence with you. You laughed to yourself at his antics. 

Miller leaned against the wall and enjoyed a smoke of his pipe when you approached him. 

"Hi, Miller." You said, holding out an envelope. 

"Ah, my time has come. I'll set off first thing in the morning, sir."

"No need to rush. I know the Captain seemed really serious about timeliness, but it's really not a big deal. If he's upset with your timing you can just tell him it was my fault." You smiled at him. 

"Thank you, sir." He said, nonchalantly saluting you.

You bid him goodnight and then made your way to the barracks, where your friends were getting ready for bed. They asked you about your day and all your important scout work.

Eventually you made your way to sleep, and you were excited at the prospect of your birthday tomorrow. Goodbye, 20.

~

You woke to all six of your friend's faces hovering over you. As soon as your eyes had opened, they beamed with smiles. 

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Y/N)!!!" They all yelled, and Altiena jumped on top of you. Her built-up muscles made her a lot heavier than she used to be when she jumped on you. 

"Aww.." You said, barely able to wheeze out the words because of Altiena's weight. "Thank you, guys." Mylius peeled Altiena off of you. 

Renko sneered. "Be prepared for tonight to be the best party of your life, (Y/N). I got our friendly courier to bring us some booze." Jun gave him a high five, and Ella's eyes widened. 

"You scoundrels!" She whacked them on their shoulders. No doubt she'd be joining in the fun later, though. You spent a little while talking with your friends, but you all eventually had to attend to your duties. Various other cadets wished you a happy birthday as you supervised training, as well. Even sweet little Armin had picked you a flower he found. 

The weather was beautiful today, just like two years ago. This day would have been perfect, but it was just missing one person. You wondered what he would be doing right now. Probably working his butt off because of your absence. 

~

And that's exactly what the captain was up to. He was buried in paperwork, wishing he had not let you leave. His only respite came from waiting for your eventual letter to arrive. When he had finished about all he could take, he yearned for your company. Something else would have to do. 

"Levi? What are you doing in here?" Hanji said as she lifted her safety glasses.

"I'm just walking around. Mind your own business." He said. 

A sly smile spread across her face, and she set down the chemicals she was holding. "Don't tell me.... You're missing (Y/N), aren't you?"

He glared at her. "So what if I am? You know she's a valuable member of the scouts. I don't miss her, I miss the fact that I used to have much less paperwork to get through. It's killing me." He said. 

"Sure, sure. It's just for work-related reasons." Hanji teased. 

"What do you want me to say?" 

Hanji changed her expression to that of a serious one. "I just want you to be honest with yourself, Levi. You can lie to me all you want, but you can't lie to you."  
He scoffed and folded his arms. "Whatever, four eyes. I shouldn't have come in here in the first place." He turned to leave her lab. 

"Wait, Levi. I know you'd probably never sit down and have a conversation about your feelings with me, but if you ever want to, you can. I'm not gonna judge ya." Hanji said genuinely. 

Levi stopped in his tracks, seriously considering her offer. The only person he really feels comfortable confiding in is you, but before that he would have talked to Hanji or even Erwin. He had sort of forgotten that he had a network of people who cared about him in some way. He didn't feel like he was ignoring them, but you were just so much easier to talk to, and he always wanted you by his side. But now that you're not here, he's reminded of the friends that were always there. 

Hanji waited at her desk patiently while the captain deliberated on what to do. He could either sit down and unload everything onto Hanji, or he could walk away. He knew which choice was easier, but which one would actually be better for him?

He thought about how much time you had spent with Hanji. It had to almost be as much time as you spend with him. Surely if you were as talkative with Hanji, she would have picked up on a few things about your feelings towards him. Maybe if he sits down and talks with her, he can clear some things up in his head. 

Levi had made his choice. He turned back around and sat down across from Hanji at her desk. It was a while since he's done something like this; the only times he comes in here are to periodically check on her experiments out of curiosity and drop off paperwork, and none of those activities require sitting. Hanji smiled and rested her chin on her hands. She was eager to hear the captain talk, but she didn't want to be overbearing. 

"Okay." Levi sighed. "What do you want to know?"

Hanji looked disappointed. "It's not about what I want to know, Levi. It's about what you want to talk about. Say whatever you want to get off your chest. I'm just here to listen and offer insight when you want it."

Levi leaned back and started fidgeting with his fingers. "I honestly don't know where to start. I'm mostly just confused about everything that's been going on. And I've felt like this for the past two years, ever since meeting (Y/N) for the first time in that alleyway." He had told Hanji about the first time the two of you met before, for some reason it had come up when Hanji asked about you.

He continued. "For the longest time I couldn't put words to it. But at this point there's really only one thing I can chalk it up to. I think... that I have feelings for her." This was the first time he had ever said it out loud, and he felt vulnerable.

"Ah," Hanji spoke, "And what kinds of things have lead you to believe this?"

"Well, I act completely different around her without thinking about it. Her presence feels warm to me, and when she's not around I feel a bit of emptiness. That's honestly why I came in here. I've been so used to having company I guess I just got lonely." Levi couldn't believe the things he was saying. He would have never said any of this two years ago. But he continued anyway. 

"She's made me smile, she's constantly doing things for me- cleaning my office while I'm sick, helping me with my work, and doting over me... It's impossible for me to ignore these things. When she says suggestive things she makes me blush- which is just abhorrent, and I wish that didn't happen. It's embarrassing." He paused, and then leaned forward. Hanji listened intently. 

"The other night... and here's where it gets good... when she stayed in my office late, she wasn't just helping me with work. I'm sure you'd figured that out already. We were up so late because I finally had the guts to tell her my whole story. She didn't know barely any of it before that night, and she didn't judge me, she wasn't mad, and she doesn't treat me any differently because of it. I... I broke apart in front of her and she stayed." 

Levi was silent for a long time, and Hanji didn't dare interrupt. 

"It gets even better. I have reason to believe that she might feel the same way I do. For one, she blushes all the time around me. I used to think it was just a normal thing for her, but I've watched her interact with other people a lot now, and that doesn't happen with anyone but me. She constantly tells me she wants to hang out with me. She's learned the way I like things to be done and she replicates them perfectly. And..." Levi stopped, debating whether or not to tell Hanji about your "dream" that wasn't actually a dream. 

"Screw it, I'll just tell you everything. When she stayed in my room the other night, she slept in my bed, and when she woke up, she was facing me, touching... my hair, and.... wow, this is really painful for me to say for some reason." 

"You don't need to give me all the details if you don't want to, Levi. You don't have to say everything just for my sake." Hanji said. 

"No, I want to, you know, get it all out. I want to weigh all the variables, or whatever the scientific crap you say." He sighed. "Anyway, when I woke up she was caressing my face and saying things like she thought this was a dream, and I didn't have the heart to tell her it was real. She eventually fell back asleep and I just let her believe that that never happened in reality. Then, oh man. Here's what really solidified it for me. I went to her room the next day and she wasn't there; I had to leave something for her so I went in her empty room and looked around a little bit."

"OOh, Levi, you perv~" Hanji teased. 

"Shut up. Do you want me to talk, or not?"

"No no! Ignore me, just go ahead." She said in a sing-song voice and shooed him with her hand. 

"Okay, so I was looking around her room and I noticed on her wall she had tacked up a bunch of drawings I'd done over the years. Some of them were clearly thrown away and dug out of my trash, which I thought was a little weird. But the thing that really stood out was this: a few of my drawings were attempted self-portraits, and with those, she had drawn little heart shapes around the edges of the paper. What am I supposed to make of that other than concluding that she feels the same way I do?" Levi raised his hands in the air. "I thought it impossible before that moment. But now... with all that information, and the way she took care of me when I was ill, I just can't ignore it anymore." He said, his voice full of emotion. Hanji had never heard him talk like this before. "So there. Now you know everything."

"You know, Levi, I didn't need to know any of that to tell you that you liked her. I can tell just from observing you." 

"Ugh." He groaned. "I hate that. I wish people would stop seeing through me. Her little friend Silva could read me on day two. It makes me feel... small."

"You are small." Hanji said, matter-of-factly. 

"I will cut you." Levi threatened. Hanji just laughed.

She smiled sweetly. "So.. we've concluded that you have a petty crush on the girl. But if you want my two cents about it, I think there's something more."  
Levi knew where this was going, but he played dumb. "What do you mean something more?"

Hanji hesitated, trying to figure out a way to say her piece without causing Levi to run away. "Based on the way you talk about her, and the way you act around her, I think that you are beyond just 'liking' her. Do you catch my drift?" She talked with her hands.

Levi's heart pounded. He'd entertained the thought, but had never said it out loud. 

She continued. "I don't want to put words in your mouth right now, but you know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Yeah..." Levi mumbled. "You think that I.. I love her."

BINGO! Hanji wanted to yell, but instead she remained cool and collected. "Well, that's what I think. But my opinion isn't really part of this. What do you think, Levi?" She talked to him like a kindergarten teacher. Not like he had really experienced a regular childhood with that kind of situation, anyway. 

"I think you could be right about that." He said, eyes fixated on his hands. He spoke with uncertainty but his heart knew that it was true. Every time he thought about you he felt different. He felt a way that he didn't know before, so the only logical explanation would be love. But this was anything but logical. It made him feel like a crazy person. 

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and it started to open. "Section Commander, have you seen Captain Levi anywhere? I looked in his office, but- Oh! Cap'n Levi!" Said Miller, holding a single envelope. He gave a frantic salute. "I-I have mail from the training grounds, sir. Here." He walked forward and thrust the envelope toward Levi, who tentatively took it from the man's hands.

Miller lingered, as if he were waiting for some kind of further instruction. Levi looked at him with dead eyes. "Took you long enough. Report to my office tomorrow morning. I will have mail for you to send." He said. 

It took all of Miller's willpower to not double over in exhaustion. Hanji noticed this. "Thank you, brave soldier, for your work. Now get some rest!" She ordered. He smiled and rushed out of the office, closing the door behind him. 

Hanji sighed, noticing Levi staring at the envelope he was just handed like it was gold. "Don't let me keep you from opening it, Shorty."

He glared up at her. "Ha. Ha. Alright, see you later then. And... thanks." He said, getting up and pushing in his chair. He sat down at his desk about a minute later, and carefully opened the letter, relishing in the fact that you had written his name in neat print on the envelope. He unfolded the parchment, and began to read. 

Captain Levi,

I just realized this is the first letter I've ever written you, if you aren't counting the random notes I leave on your desk on scratch paper. I made it to the training grounds the other day without any trouble, and I got to spend the whole night with my friends. But I'll spare you those cheesy details.

I have noticed some great improvements among the cadets my age, and even some promising ones among the newbies. To no one's surprise, Mylius and Silva are top of the class. I'm sure one of them is going to be number one. Renko will definitely rank in the top ten as well, and I'm hopeful for Altiena. All of them want to be part of the scout legion, which is good news for us if you ask me. And not just because they're my friends.

I also noticed that a few other standout recruits have expressed interest in the scout legion because of my visit. I keep telling everyone how great you, Hanji, and Commander Erwin are, so I think I'm really selling people on the scouts. Young recruits keep asking me if I know "humanity's strongest soldier." I tell them I keep him locked in my basement.

Among the younger ones, I noticed three that caught my attention, Armin, Eren, and Mikasa. Armin isn't the best at all the physical tests, but he's a genius. Eren is about average at everything, but he's got enough heart and determination to make up for it. And then there's Mikasa. You share a last name with her. Do you know her? She's insanely skilled in every way. Her only problem is that she is overly concerned with how Eren is doing. I have high hopes for this little band. But they're so young. It's kind of unsettling.

Also, this is the last time you will be hearing from me as a 20-year old. Tomorrow I age up one year. You know what that means... I'm partying with my friends, and you can't stop me. Is it dangerous to my job for me to confess my private endeavors to my literal boss? Oh well. Maybe we can get wasted together when I come back.

I expect a speedy response, my overlord.  
-(Y/N)

Levi thought of how you would hold up Mylius's letters to your heart after you read them, and he felt like it was only proper to follow your example here. He knew that your assignment was to evaluate the cadets there, but the parts of the letter he really cared about was everything else. He yearned for your company, so your rambles about random things was what he cherished the most. 

He kicked himself when he read that it would be your 21st birthday, which would make it today. He wasn't even upset about your taunts about partying with your friends; he would allow you this one. But your comment about 'getting wasted together' did seem interesting. On this day two years ago, the two of you were sitting on a hill watching the sun set. But today during that time, he was confessing his love for you in Hanji's office. 

Just because he missed your birthday doesn't mean that he couldn't still wish you a happy one. So he paced around his office, thinking about what he could do. It didn't take him long to think of a solution. 

Levi rushed to his desk and sat down, pulling out his best piece of parchment and his sketching pencils. These were given to him once by Hanji on his birthday, and he rarely ever used them. But now was definitely the right call. He smoothed out the piece of paper, and sketched out a general idea of what he wanted the piece to look like. Once he was finished, He took out a larger envelope to seal it in, so that he wouldn't have to fold it up. He slid the illustration in and then took out another piece of paper to write to you on. 

He carefully slid the finished letter in the large envelope after making himself a copy of it. He sealed and addressed it, then laid it on the corner of his desk, ready to hand to Miller when he arrived tomorrow morning. Levi stood from his chair and stretched, feeling the need to sleep. He thought it was just a good a time-waster as anything, and all he wanted was the time to pass quickly. He couldn't wait a whole week for you to get back, but he couldn't leave, either. He had too much work to do here. He would just have to be patient. 

The good captain fell asleep after replaying his thoughts about you in his head for what felt like hours. Meanwhile, you were no where close to being ready to sleep.

~

"Take it easy, (Y/N)!" Mylius said, as you downed one of several drinks that night. You think it was around 5 or 6.

"Look who's talking!" You yelled back at him as you noticed the 7 empty bottles next to his place.

"I'm bigger than you, I'm older than you, and I have a higher tolerance than you." He said, counting on his fingers.

"Tch." You said, waving him off. "It's my birthday, and you all did this for me, so I'm gonna enjoy it." You said, your words slurred.

Each of your friends had gotten to the point of at least being tipsy by now. You didn't want to go so far as to black out, but you wanted to experience something new as well. Tomorrow you'd have to get back to work, so you were going to enjoy this time now. Your drunken mind led you to thoughts of Levi, which made you suddenly talkative.

"Guys..." You said, leaning forward and setting down your cards for the game you were all playing.

"Uh... yeah?" Renko said.

"I need to tell you all a secret." You whispered loudly. Your friends all looked around at each other with worried faces.

"Please, (Y/N), enlighten us." Mylius said. "But don't embarrass yourself."

"(Y/N), I don't want you to say something you don't mean for us to know by accident." Ella said, with a look of concern on her face.

"You guys... you guys are my best friends. I don't have anything to hide from you. Plus, I'm sure it's not gonna be a shock to any of you." You said, pulling Altiena in under your arm as she giggled.

"Is this what I think it is?" Silva looked up from her drink.

You pointed a finger at her drunkenly. "Yes." She smirked and leaned back on her arms. "Alright guys, I'm gonna tell you my secret." You whispered, and leaned in close. Everyone in the circled leaned in closer as well.

"(Y/N), tell us!" Altiena begged.

"Ok, ok." You waved your hands in the air. "I like like Captain Levi."

You scanned your friends faces, expecting some form of shock. Instead they all looked bored and unsurprised. "Uh, that was a secret? I thought we all knew this..." Jun said, looking around the circle. "(Y/N), did you seriously think we didn't know this already?"

"I mean, kinda..." You mumbled.

"I knew right away!" Silva yelled, thrusting her hand in the air. "I told all of you something was there when he carried her off the training grounds that day. And then I even said something to him and he looked at me funny. I could tell he felt something was there too. Wonder if he's noticed yet."

"I think he has. I haven't seen him this whole time but the way you talk about him in your letters really seems like he likes you to me." Mylius said.

"It's looooooove~" Altiena sang. You smothered her in your arm.

"Shhhh! I don't know if it's all that. But maybe." You said.

"(Y/N)! You have to confess to him right away!" Ella said, finally piping up. You didn't know she was so invested in your love life until now. "I've been thinking about the two of you, and there's like a 99% chance he feels the same way."

You chuckled nervously. "That means there's still a 1 per cent chance he wouldn't reciprocate my feelings. But... I have already decided I'm going to tell him. I talk to Section Commander Hanji about him sometimes and she thinks I have a really good chance too. So, the plan her and I came up with is that I would go here for the week, and then he'd miss me and realize how much he wants me around, and then when I come back it'll be even sweeter when we meet again and confess to each other... if everything goes exactly as planned. I told her it was a loose plan. But she knows me- I'm gonna tell him when I get back."

Altiena clapped her hands. "Yay!! We expect letters ASAP!"

"You bet!" You said. "I mean, if it's even all true. Maybe he's just nice to me because I help him with his work."

"No," Mylius interjected, "you started helping him way after he went out of his way to spend time with you. So that's definitely not it. There's really no other way to explain his behavior other than deducing that he likes you."

Renko laughed out of no where. "Who would have thought we'd be discussing the romantic interests of Captain Levi? He was so scary when we were new recruits... actually that detail hasn't changed. But still, it's weird that this is a legitimate topic of discussion. The younger cadets would be way too scared of him to talk about this."

"Yeah." Jun agreed. "That guy is still super intimidating. I don't know how you managed to get on his good side, (Y/N)."

You thought for a moment. "Honestly, I think it's because I got on his bad side first. I stood up to him for being rude the first time we met, and I guess most people don't retaliate against him like that. So I must've piqued his interest because I served his attitude right back to him."

"Woah." Ella said. "You could be right about that."

"So when's the wedding?" Silva sneered. Renko playfully slapped her on the arm. "What? Clearly they're perfect for each other. What are they waiting for?"

"Silva, they haven't even told each other yet." Mylius said. "There's no rush."

"I love you guys." You said after taking another sip of your drink.

"Aww, we love you too!" Altiena cheered.

The rest of the night was full with games and fun gossip. The conversation moved away from the captain, but your thoughts didn't. The man had taken over your mind for all this time, it wasn't about to stop now.

~

The next morning you woke up with a a headache. Mylius kept trying to get you to drink more water the night before but you weren't having it. But he was right, this sucked. Your friends even let you sleep in, so you only said good morning and goodbye to them in a half-awake state.

Your mood dramatically changed however, when the good courier Miller ran up to you waving a letter in the air. You noticed the envelope was quite large, amounting to a full-sized sheet of paper. Something important must be inside; you wondered what it could be.

"I've got a delivery for you, sir." Miller said. "Captain Levi grilled me to make sure I didn't bend the envelope, so there's probably something cool in there. I'll be waiting around whenever you need to send somethin' else!" He saluted and walked off after you gave him a quick thank you.

You made your way over to the captain's quarters to open your special mail. You carefully opened the letter and slid out the reason why this came in such a large envelope.

It was a drawing.

The piece was a portrait of you and Levi, smiling. Levi drew himself smiling. What a rare and beautiful sight. You wondered how many times he would have had to reference himself in his small mirror on his desk. Somehow he managed absolute perfection here.

The other portraits he's drawn of himself always looked sad to you. But the one time he drew himself smiling... he put himself next to you. And the way he drew you was perfect. He knew your face so well, every detail down to the beauty marks on your face. Looking at this piece of art made you tear up. It was clear that he put his soul into it, it wasn't just a doodle. You regularly keep his drawings but this one was made specially for you, just like the first time he drew you in a scout uniform in this very room.

You resisted the urge to hold the artwork up to your chest like you did with most mail, because you didn't want to smudge it. Instead you set it down gingerly and reached back into the envelope to find a letter.

(Y/N),

Happy Birthday. I know this will reach you late, but maybe if our idiot courier wasn't so slow it wouldn't have to be. I am glad to have gotten to know you over these two years, and I hope for many more to come.

It sounds like you are having a grand time at the training corps with all of your friends. I must admit to you that part of the reason I sent you wasn't just because I trust you to have good evaluation skills; which I do believe to be true; some of the reason was because I knew you would be happy to see all of those brats. You better enjoy it.

It's great to hear that the cadets are doing well. I understand some of them will be graduating soon; I hope many of them will join us here. As for the younger recruits, I am confident they will improve greatly over their training. Commander Shadis is known to bring the best out of those cadets.

I have not met or heard of a Mikasa Ackerman. I don't really know much about my family members, if I even have any. That's all a mystery to me. She sounds like she'd be a good soldier, though. Maybe we are related.

I imagine that as I am writing this on the night of your 21st birthday, that your friends have found a way to sneak booze in to have a party and 'get wasted.' Don't think I haven't noticed the several missing bottles of alcohol from the mess hall kitchen. I know that Miller's been sneaking them there, so I've done you a great favor in not getting him in trouble. I'm sure I don't need to say this to you, but please drink responsibly. I'd hate for anything to happen to you. And if you really want to have a fun time again, at least invite me along.

Send my regards to your idiot friends,  
-Levi

Now this you could hug to your chest. Your mind hung on a few key phrases in the letter: "I am glad to have gotten to know you," "I knew you would be happy," "I'd hate for anything to happen to you," and especially, "at least invite me along." You assumed that was his response to your bold request to get wasted with the captain. Your thoughts drifted to how Levi would handle his alcohol, and if the rest of his personality is any indication, it would take him quite a lot to feel anything.

You looked again at the portrait, not wanting to take your eyes off of it. You couldn't wait to show it to your friends; they had only seen the one drawing you sent Mylius for his birthday a while ago. You took a deep breath and slid it back into the envelope to keep it safe with the letter, and set it on the corner of the desk.

You took out a new piece of parchment to write something, but if you wrote something now it would just be random conversation, not related to what you're actually here to do. So you set it aside and opened the door, walking outside to the field of bright-eyed recruits, but at this point in the morning they were anything but energetic.

Shadis was having them run laps, and they still had to run up some mountains today. You could tell many of them were disheartened by this, but there were a select group who remained determined. These would prove to be good soldiers one day. You believed in everyone else, but you knew these ones would make it somewhere. You watched the cadets gather as Shadis prepared them for their mountain run, and you decided to join them. It had been a while since you trained here, so you wanted to give it a go. You saw several of the young recruits' eyes light up, excited that you would be joining them. Among them were some familiar faces.

"Yeah! (Y/N)'s coming, too!" Eren pumped his fist in the air.

"Yeager! That's sir to you!" Shadis yelled at the boy.

"Sorry, Commander!" He stammered.

"No, Commander, it's alright. I told them I wanted them to call me by my first name. It helps with morale, you know? It's kind of my style." You said.

Shadis raised an eyebrow at you but carried on. You felt a tug on your sleeve and looked to your side. It was Armin. "Hey, (Y/N), I'm glad you're joining us." He whispered. Mikasa gave you a supportive nod. These three kids were something else.  
Each cadet was given a pack that they were to wear while running up the hill. Shadis would ride on a horse and facilitate the exercise. Because of your rigorous training, you had no trouble keeping up, but you noticed a few of the recruits hanging in the back, so you joined them.  
"Come on, soldiers! Keep up!" You yelled, trying to sound commanding but not too harsh. Some of them pushed harder. You kept on with the encouragement. In front of you, Shadis smiled, happy to have your influence back.

-

As each of your friends sat down for dinner, they groaned.

"Come on, guys! What's the matter?" You said. Silva just glared at you. You knew why they were so tired. "Anyway..." you said. "I got a letter from Levi. He says hello to all of you, and...." you drew out your words for effect.

"Spit it out, (Y/N)." Renko sighed.

"He knew Miller was sneaking alcohol away from HQ."

Mylius's eyes widened. "Oh no. Oh no. Are we gonna be kicked out of the military? Oh man, I didn't think this through..."

You let him freak out for a few more seconds before placing a hand on his shoulder. "Nah, he said he would let us get away with it. We're lucky. Also, the letter wasn't the only thing the captain sent me." You said, pulling out the drawing from the envelope you took with you. Upon laying eyes on the piece of art, each of your friends gasped in astonishment.

"Man, what can't that guy do?" Renko exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"That's very beautiful, (Y/N)." Ella said, smiling.

Silva let out an awkward chuckle. "Bit unrealistic, don't you think? I've never seen that guy smile."

Altiena beamed. "That just makes it all the more special! He wanted (Y/N) to have a record of his smiling face, which no one ever gets to see! It's true love, I tell you! True looooove~" She started singing, and Renko and Jun joined in as background vocals. You lifted the drawing in front of your face to hide your blush.

"You look like you really love it, (Y/N)." Mylius said.

You smiled. "Yeah. I do.”

~

The week flew by. You kept Miller busy with regular correspondence with Levi, but before long, it was time for you to head back to scout headquarters. You were excited to reunite with the captain- you had been with him almost every day for so long, it felt strange to be without him for a week. However, the other part of you was busy being sad over having to leave your friends again. This time, though, you had the assurance that you'd see them soon. You would definitely be present at their graduation, and then something told you you'd be participating in their specialized scout training.

The morning was full of hopeful sobs and long embraces. You made an effort to spend enough time with Ella and Jun, since you were pretty sure neither of them were going to join the scouts. After some tearful farewells and a formal send-off from Shadis, you gathered your belongings, including Levi's letters, and set off for scout HQ where the good captain would be waiting.

~


	9. Chapter 9

The sun was high up in the sky warming your body as you rode through the plains, forests, and hills on the way to Headquarters. The ride was long and peaceful, and you let your mind wander to land on several random memories of Levi. 

~

"Here." The man set down a teacup in front of you as you hurriedly plugged away at some work. You looked up at him. 

"Oh, thanks." You took the handle and lifted the steaming liquid up to your face. 

"Oi, it's hot. Don't burn yourself, idiot." He chastised. You set the cup back down and looked back at your paper, sighing. He cleared his throat. "It's late. You can stop working on that now." 

You blinked a few times and looked back up at the man, who was reclining in his office chair. You pushed aside the paper and closed your eyes for a minute. You peeked one open to witness him holding his cup in the strange way he always does, from the top instead of the handle. 

"Levi." You said. His eyes darted up to meet your gaze. "Why do you always hold your teacups so funny?"

"Tch. Are you making fun of me?" He said.

"No, I'm just curious. Isn't it harder to drink that way instead of just using the handle?"

"I don't trust handles."

You laughed. "What do you mean, you don't trust them?"

"If you hold the cup by the handle, and it breaks off, you'll have a giant mess on your hands. If you hold it the way I do, there's much less risk." He explained as if this were common practice for people. 

"Cups like this are made to be used by the handle. I doubt handles just fall off of cups enough for that to even matter." You said. 

"It happened to me once..." He said, his eyes clouding as if he were having some kind of flashback. After a few moments he spoke again. "Never again."

"Whatever you say, clean freak." You sighed.

"Don't call me that." He spat.

You raised your eyebrows. "And why not? It's true."

"Because I don't like it and I said so." He huffed.

"Yes, Captain." You said in an overly sarcastic manner. 

He groaned. "How many times do I have to tell you to not call me Captain when we're alone?" 

You giggled. "You're so picky about what I call you."

"So what? It shows respect."

"But there's so many different things to call you. 'Humanity's strongest soldier,' 'Captain,' 'clean freak,' 'Mr. Grumpy,' 'overlord.'" You counted on your fingers. "Oh, and Shorty." You said with a smirk.

He glared at you with piercing gray eyes. "NEVER call me that." 

"Hanji says it all the time!" You protested. You thought of most days where Hanji would tease the man, calling him short. It always got him riled up. It was like he didn't want to admit his vertically challenge body.

"Yeah, and I kick her every time. Do you want me to beat you up too?"

You pouted. "No..."

"Then don't call me those incessant nicknames. Overlord is fine, though." He said, crossing his arms. 

"Okay..." You drew out your words. "Then... you can't call me 'idiot' or 'brat' anymore. You must call me....Empress." You said, talking with your hands. He rolled his eyes.

"That's stupid. No." He scoffed. 

"Oh, come on! I call you 'overlord!'" You yelled.

"That was your decision, idiot. I didn't tell you to call me that."

"Tch. Whatever." You huffed. "I'm not talking to you, then." 

"Fine by me." He reached over to a drawer and pulled out the book you were currently reading. He slid it across the desk to you, and you put your hand on it without making eye contact. You opened it and hid behind the pages, and soon you got lost in the story. Levi continued doing work, since there was still a lot to do. He had told you to take a break because he knew you were working really hard to help him out. He occasionally glanced at you while you were completely engrossed in the book. Every once in a while your face would contort to some interesting expressions, which amused him. He might even admit that it was pretty cute. He couldn't focus on his paperwork any longer, so he took to doodling on some scratch paper. He sketched out some of your unique expressions as you read quietly.

But then you broke the silence. "Whaaat?" You leaned back, reeling away from the book. "I didn't even notice that the first time!" 

"What are you on about?" Levi asked. 

"Well, this is my second read. I didn't realize some huge foreshadowing here." You explained plainly.

"You've already read that one? Why would you read it again?"

"Well, sometimes when you go back and read something again, you notice new things that completely change the whole experience. You can go back and notice things that are huge tie-ins with big twists or endings that you wouldn't have thought of at all on the first read. I love to re-read stories that I already know I enjoyed the first time around, because I'm almost guaranteed to have another completely different experience reading it, and I'll still love the story." You said.

Levi lifted a hand to his chin. "Interesting."

"Yeah, like with this story, the bad guy does some shady stuff right here, but we don't know he's the bad guy yet. But now that I've finished the story and I know that he's the bad guy, it makes this part way more exciting and meaningful to me." You beamed, seemingly completely forgetting your earlier heated conversation with the raven-haired man. He was enjoying your animated speech as you continued on about why re-reading things is so interesting. 

Of course, he had read the book you were reading already, too, so he was interested when you mentioned things that he didn't notice either. The two of you talked about the book for a while, but when the conversation lulled, your eyes wandered around the room, landing on the piece of paper in front of Levi that he had previously been concealing with his arms.

"I see someone's been drawing." You said. "Lemme see!" You leaned up out of your chair to see what he had sketched. He quickly moved to cover the paper again with his body.

"It's just scribbles." He said.

"Come on, show me!" You whined. 

"Stop being annoying." He said. 

You leaned back down into your seat and batted your eyelashes. "Please, overlord?"

"Ugh, fine." He groaned, sliding the paper over to you. On it were a few sketches of you making some very strange faces. 

"Ew, is this what I look like when I'm reading?" You said, pushing the paper away.

"More or less." Levi said. "But I wouldn't say 'ew.' You're just making some strange expressions." He said. 

"Yeah, but they're not very attractive." You sighed. "I just look dumb."

"I don't think you look dumb." Levi said honestly. "Who cares if you look attractive or not? It's just you and me in here." 

"I kinda care if I look nice..." You said.

"Well stop worrying about that. It's stupid." He said, finishing off his tea.

"Right!" You said, remembering something he said once. "You called me pretty before, didn't you? I remember, you wrote it in a letter to Hanji!"

Levi froze. "I-I... She commanded me to answer her dumb question!" He sighed. "I may be short, but I'm no liar." He almost choked after realizing what he had just said.

"Oh my.." You clasped your hands over your mouth. "You admitted it..."

The red tint of embarrassment grew on his face. "Shut. Up."

"Levi... you just said you're short!" You couldn't contain your laughter.

"I said drop it, (Y/N)." He seethed, trying to keep his cool.

"No way, shorty! I've been waiting for this for months!"

That was the last straw. He stood up abruptly from his desk. His hair shielded his eyes from you, so you couldn't see the raw anger inside of them. He swiftly moved toward you, then grabbed you by the arm and almost threw you outside of his office. "Never call me that again." He said through gritted teeth. You almost threw in a joke about him having a 'short temper,' but you decided it had gone far enough.

He slammed the door shut before you could apologize. It'll just have to wait for tomorrow when he's calmed down. You collected yourself and headed back to your room for the night. 

Levi paced around his office, trying to calm his nerves. A little while later his anger was completely replaced by heavy guilt. He didn't mean to blow up at you like he did. The truth was that he really didn't want you to leave; he would've loved for you to just force your way back in the office. But he understood why you gave up on the teasing. He didn't really give you much of a choice. 

He would have waited for the morning to apologize to you, but the guilt would have eaten him alive over that long of a time period, so he made his way over to your quarters. He leaned on the doorway and knocked softly twice. He heard some shuffling and a few seconds later the door was open, revealing you in a t-shirt and shorts, with wet hair.

"Oh, Levi. Listen, I wanted to-"

"I'm sorry." He cut you off. You almost jumped away from him in shock. "I got too angry at you. You were just messing around."

"I-it's fine, really. I took it too far. I was just about to apologize to you." You said. "So, we're cool?"

"Yeah." He said, reaching his arm to ruffle your freshly-washed hair, which made you giggle.

"Yay! Goodnight, Levi." You said.

"Goodnight." He hesitated. “Empress."

~

Your memory served you well when you wanted to be entertained. The captain sure was an interesting character. Your mind drifted to wondering what Levi and Hanji had been up to all week. Levi had let you know in his letters that Hanji was basically holed up in her lab, working on some kind of new discovery that she had made.

Levi was most likely busy with paperwork because of your absence. You felt kind of bad you weren't able to help him this past week, but it was his own choice to send you to the training corps. Eventually you could see the growing image of the large building that housed the scout regiment, and you felt excited to be back. It was a lot of work, but you enjoyed it. In a few months, your friends would get to join you as well.

As you neared the entrance, a familiar face barreled toward you. It was Hanji, of course. You made sure to get off your horse before she reached you so that she could tackle you to the ground in a hug.

"(Y/N)!!" She yelled as you felt the full force of the woman slam into your body. Now that you were laughing and laying on the ground, you couldn't see the short man standing a few feet behind where Hanji had come from. He cleared his throat and Hanji scrambled and helped you to your feet.

You locked eyes with Levi and saluted extravagantly. "Captain." You said. Hanji gave you a wink and waltzed away.

"Good to see you made it back. How was your trip?" Levi asked. He seemed to be acting awkwardly polite and formal. You resisted the urge to fling your arms around him, aware that you were in full view of anyone in the whole regiment.

"It was good. Well, long and boring, but I'm not sore like I was the first time I rode here from the training corps. Looks like all that work we did paid off." You flexed your arm muscles dramatically. His expression softened.

"You've made it just in time for an early dinner." He said. "I'll be in the mess hall.” Then he walked away. It was a bit lackluster for seeing each other again after being apart for a week, but you didn't really know what else you were expecting. You were more looking forward to going to his office in the evening and hanging out like usual. Maybe he'd even take you up on your offer to have a little intoxicated fun. You took your small bag of belongings and carried it to your room to drop it off before heading over to the mess hall. On your way, you ran into a certain tall, blonde man.

"Commander Erwin, nice to see you!" You said, saluting confidently before the man.

He smiled politely. "(Y/N), glad to see you are back. How were the cadets?"

You let your arms relax. "I see a lot of potential coming our way in the next few years."

Suddenly the larger man's hand was on your shoulder. He leaned in a bit and spoke quietly. "Have you seen Captain Levi yet?"

You started to feel nervous for some reason, like you were being interrogated. "Uh... yeah, actually.... I-I think he's waiting for me in the mess hall right now..."

He leaned in closer to your ear. "I've been talking to Hanji little bit." He said. You felt the blood drain from your face. He leaned back and offered you a wide smile. "I don't know what you did to make the captain so cheery, but keep it up. I'm counting on you, (Y/N)." He gave you a few pats on the shoulder and walked down the hall.

Great, You thought. No pressure. Only half the Survey Corps and now the Commander knows about your little crush on Levi. You're an idiot, (Y/N).

You forced yourself to step forward and make your way to the mess hall, where you joined Hanji and Levi at a table. Hanji filled the silence with telling you all about her scientific discoveries for the week, and you were fully invested in the topic. Levi was quieter than normal, only piping up for the quick insult or one-liner. Eventually she left, making up some excuse about meeting with Erwin about something. That left you and Levi alone. There was definitely more tension in the air than normal. 

"Well, uh... do you need any help with paperwork?" You asked. 

"No, I'm finished for the week." Levi said.

"Oh, cool." You said. More awkward silence fell on the two of you. But Levi spoke up. 

"We could get wasted." He blurted out.

You looked at him with wide eyes.

"What?" He defended himself. "It's the weekend. Plus, you said that in your letter. Don't act all innocent."

"Well, I guess I can't say no to my commanding officer." You sighed dramatically. "Let's do it, overlord." 

"I'll get the booze. Meet me in my office." He said, standing up from the table. 

"Wait," you said, "I feel kinda wrong about this. Are we gonna get in trouble?"

Levi smirked. "I'm Captain Levi Ackerman. I don't get in trouble.” Something about his tone was really attractive to you, and you felt little tingling sensation in your chest. With a sense of confidence you cleaned up the table and went up to Levi's office, which he wasn't in yet. You opened the door to reveal the room, looking the exact same as you had left it just over a week ago. 

In a few minutes Levi opened the door and came in holding...something. You didn't really know what it was. Some of it looked like what Miller had snuck to the training grounds, but some of it was completely new-looking. 

"Woah! That's... a LOT of booze." You said. 

"You might be a lightweight but it takes a lot for me to start feeling anything at all." Levi said nonchalantly. 

You laughed. This was going to be a long night.

~

Fun fact: it's canon that Levi gets nervous and clumsy around the people he likes.

~

Levi watched as you galavanted around his office, pointing out little details that you liked. You liked the angle of one of the books that never moved on his shelf, you liked how one of the corners of his desk was especially worn down from all the times he accidentally ran into it, and you liked how there was always a single dying plant sitting in the windowsill. 

You were properly feeling the effects of your drinks, and even though Levi had just as much as you, he seemed relatively unchanged. You sauntered over to the back of his chair, laying your hands on it behind him. He looked up at you.

"You know what I especially like about your office?" You said, feeling bold.

"What?" 

You smiled and hugged the chair back. "This right here. It's my favorite part."

He furrowed his brows. "You like... my chair?"

You giggled drunkenly. "Yeah..."

"You've never even sat in it. At least to my knowledge." 

"Oh, no, if I sat in it, then it would nullify the reason I like it so much." You backed away from the chair and moved yourself to face Levi, searching his eyes.

"Then what's the reason you like it?" He said, with an air of skepticism lacing his voice.

"Heh..." You leaned in close to him and whispered. "Because you're always in it."

He brought a hand up to cover his mouth. "(Y/N), don't say stupid stuff like that. You're going to embarrass yourself." He averted his eyes from you and leaned back into his chair, creating distance between your faces. The truth was that he loved this; you were being flirty towards him and he invited it. He just had absolutely no clue how to respond smoothly. It was like all of his composure had left him. Could it just be the alcohol?

You lifted your hand up to mimic him. "It looks like... You're the one who's embarrassed, little man." You said with a smirk. 

He glared at you and lifted his arm to flick your forehead. "Again with the dumb nicknames, idiot? I thought I told you what I liked to be called."

"Look, I can't help it. When the opportunity presents itself I just have to take it. Plus, I'm intoxicated."

"No, you really don't have to take it. And that's not an excuse."

"Anyway..." You twirled away from the captain, and his body relaxed again. He didn't realize he was so tense as a result of your close proximity just then. You stopped spinning and cocked your head to the side. "Would you ever get married, Levi?"

"Uh-" He stammered. "Wh-why would you even ask something like that?"

You put your hands on your hips. "Can't a girl be curious sometimes? Answer the question, unless you're a wuss..." You said, your words overly slurred. 

He rolled his eyes. "...Maybe. If I found the right person... I don't think that kind of thing is really practical right now, though."

You scoffed. "Practical? It's not about that, it's about loooove~" You sang, mirroring the way Altiena would sing that word. "Eh, do what you want, though. I see why you'd say it's not practical. What with being in the scout regiment and all." 

"...Yeah." He said. 

"What would you do if we were able to kill all the titans and live freely?" You asked. 

"Well..." He sighed. "In reality, the military wouldn't be completely dissolved, it would probably transition into more of a government or police role, and I would keep my rank."

"Booooring..." You whined. "What about if you weren't in the military anymore? What else would you do?"

He sat and thought about it for a little while. A reality without titans seems completely impossible at this point. There's no way they could be beaten back enough during his lifetime, but he wanted to entertain your curiosity a little bit. "I would own my own tea shop." He said.

"Oooh!" You clapped your hands together. "Then, maybe marriage wouldn't be so impractical." You noted. 

"Sure..." He mumbled. "What would you do, then?"

"I don't know... I never really aspired to anything but being in the scout regiment. But I guess part of the reason I joined is because I don't want there to be a need for it anymore. You know? The job is to venture outside the walls and defeat the titans, so the end goal is for the regiment to dissolve in the end. We fight so that we don't have to in the future. But if I had to choose something else, I don't know what I'd pick. I'd just want to make sure I would be able to still spend time with you and the rest of my friends." You said. "I could be a waitress at your tea shop." You winked.

The captain pursed his lips. He was part of this fight because he was forced into it, not because he wanted to defeat the titans to save humanity. But now he has a reason to do just that. "As soon as I kill the last titan, then we'll open up that shop."

"Woo!" You threw your arms in the air. However, you did that with such force that you lost your balance, toppling to the ground in the middle of the room. Levi was too far away to be able to catch you in time like he wanted to, but he quickly rushed to your aid and lifted your head up gingerly with his hand.

"What the hell, (Y/N)? Are you okay?" He said frantically. 

You burst out laughing, and he returned to his bored expression, letting you drop back down to the ground. "Ouch! Hey!" You said, rubbing the back of your head. "Meanie."

"You're drunk." He said. 

You gave him a look. "Yeah, Levi, that was the point."

He scoffed. "Well I think you've had enough for the night. I'm going to get you some water."

Before you could argue with him, he left the room. You leaned yourself up on your elbows, considering the options for tonight. Either he kicks you out and walks you back to your room, where you could confess to him. But that leaves one problem- you want privacy, but whenever he drops you off he stays standing in your doorway. It's the respectful and appropriate thing to do for someone in his position, but you wished he would just come in sometimes.

The other option was that he would let you sleep in his bed again, which would honestly be the ideal choice. Then you would have full privacy, you wouldn't have to leave him at night, and you'd get to wake up next to him in the morning. Maybe he'd even let you borrow his clothes again...

Either way, you had to confess to him tonight. Everyone in your life was waiting for you to do it, and you couldn't wait any longer. You stood up and made sure you looked presentable. You waved off any feeling of tiredness and waited for his return, which only took a couple of minutes. He returned with a cup of water and placed it in your hand. You quickly downed the contents, eager to get down to business. Normally he would have given you a strange look for your antics, but it appeared the captain was lost in thought too. 

"(Y/N), I wanted-"

"Levi, I need to- Oh, sorry. You go ahead first." You didn't realize you had interrupted him. 

"No, it's... it's not important." He said.

"Levi, anything you say is important to me." You said.

He shifted his weight and nervously shoved his hands in his pockets. His body language told you that maybe the two of you were on the same page after all. "Whatever." He said. "You go first. That's an order."

You sighed. "Fine. I, uh... I... wow, this is a lot harder now that I'm actually going to say it. Give me a second." You took a deep breath, focusing on a single floorboard. You balled your fists tightly and then closed your eyes. "I... I like you, Levi." 

You heard the man take a step forward, and you could hear his shaky breath. He took one of your hands in his and started pulling you toward his bedroom. "Y-you're too drunk, (Y/N). Let's get you to bed."

"No!" You protested, ripping your hand out of his grip. He snapped his attention back to you, with a very confused look on his face. "Don't ignore what I just said. I-I said I like you, Levi. In a romantic way. I-it took me a long time to figure it out, but it's been true almost the whole time I've known you."

"Are you pulling a sick prank on me or something?" He asked. 

"NO! I'm being genuine here."

"Y-you're only saying that because you're drunk."

You put your hands on your hips. "You said yourself that that's not an excuse. I'm being completely honest here, Levi. I like you way more than I should, and I'm not gonna keep ignoring it anymore."

Levi was speechless. It's not like he should be surprised- he had been thinking you liked him for a while, and Hanji even confirmed his suspicions. So why was he so nervous now? He should have been expecting this. Despite all that, he was frozen in place, not knowing how to respond. He had analyzed all the signs, but hadn't thought about what to do when he actually had to confront these feelings.

His unresponsive state was starting to discourage you. You had thought that he would reciprocate your feelings- but it looked like you were pushing him away right now. "I-I'm sorry. That was way out of line. Just... forget I said anything." You mumbled.

"No." Was all Levi could manage to get out. He wanted to ease your dejected expression and confess his unfaltering, undying love for you, but he couldn't find the courage or the words. He felt like a mess of emotions, but his stoic personality didn't allow for any of them to come out, or even show on his face. He just looked mildly annoyed.

"No?" You questioned. You watched as the captain struggled for words. This was very unlike him. "What do you mean, no?"

"I... I mean..." He stuttered. "I can't forget what you said. That's... that's impossible.” You didn't know how to respond, so you stood waiting for him to complete his thought.

He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "I can't forget because I... uh, I feel the same way you do." He fixated his gaze on the floor, probably looking at the same floorboard you had just studied. You were shocked he managed to finally get the words out. Of course, you hadn't been too surprised about this revelation, since you just spent a whole week with your friends where they convinced you that he was in love with you. You were glad you had some liquid courage in you, or you wouldn't have been able to initiate this conversation. You doubted Levi could have either. He was a mess.

"I know." You said, dropping your arms from your hips. He just stared at you. "And I'm pretty sure you aren't surprised about me, either, are you?"

"Not really..." He muttered. "So... what do we do now? I've never done anything like this before."

"Really? I don't think I can believe that. Look at you! You're telling me the ladies aren't all over this hunk right in front of me? You're a heartthrob. Plus, you read so many romance books. I would've thought you're an expert on this stuff."

He blushed nervously at your compliments. "I can read about it and think about it just fine, but when it's all real..."

"Well, usually the two people don't just stand awkwardly like five feet away from each other." You said, walking closer to him. You took one of his hands in yours, and you noticed he was shaking. "Why are you so nervous? It's just me."

His breath hitched. "Th-that's exactly why. I don't know what I'm doing here."

"Neither do I, but let's figure it out together. Do you want this?"

He nodded. You bit your lip and let your gaze travel down to his mouth. It was slightly agape, like he was waiting for something. You slowly snaked your arms around his neck and brought your face just centimeters away from his. He stayed completely stiff, like he was frozen. The sound of his shaky breaths was the only thing you could hear.

You gently placed your lips on his, and soon his tension melted away. He hooked his arms around your waist, pulling your body closer to his. He let his eyes close and for a minute he was able to forget reality, only knowing this connection between the two of you. He felt like nothing else mattered in the world besides this. 

You were having a similar experience. The only times you've kissed someone was for a dare or some awkward middle-school crush. This was completely new, and despite Levi saying he didn't know anything about this stuff, it sure felt like he did. You deepened the kiss, running your fingers up the back of his head and tangling them in his hair. It felt right. This is the way things are supposed to be.

It was you who pulled away first, because you wanted to get a good look at his face. This would be an expression he wouldn't pull often, so you didn't want to miss it. His stony gray eyes looked back at you with warmth, and his mouth was still open, curled into a small smile.

"(Y/N)?" He spoke softly. 

"Yeah?"

"Is this what happiness feels like?”

~


	10. Chapter 10

"Is this what happiness feels like?" The man said, his eyes conveying innocent curiosity. 

You smiled bittersweetly, happy that you made him feel this way, but sad that it took him this long to find these lost emotions. "Yeah... it is." You said.

"Thank you, (Y/N)."

"You don't need to thank me!!" You felt your cheeks heat up. "I didn't do anything!"

He took your hand in his. "Yes, you did. You've helped me see sides of myself I didn't even know were there." He pulled you in and embraced you tightly, and whispered into your ear. "Forgive me if I'm going too fast with this, but I'd rather just get everything out in the open. He let go of you and locked his eyes with yours.

"I love you, (Y/N)."

So that's what he was saving all his courage for. You thought. But you were completely on the same page; you loved Levi too. Hanji warned you it was this advanced, and she was right. Now was as good a time as any to pour out your heart to him.

"I love you too, Levi." You said, lifting your hand to cup his cheek. He smiled and gave you a sweet kiss on the lips, different now that he had initiated it. You still felt butterflies in your stomach, though.

As soon as he pulled away you yawned. "Shoot, Levi, what time is it?"

He looked up at the wall. "Bedtime." He grabbed your wrist and pulled you along into his room, then rummaged in one of his drawers for some clothes.

"Y-you want me to stay in here?" You said, half-surprised and half-excited.

"Is that a problem?"

"Well, what if someone notices? Hanji's definitely gonna find out..." You said.

He scoffed. "You and I both know Hanji has been privy to this the whole time. Plus, there's no way I'm letting you out there at 3 AM while you're still properly tipsy. I told you to drink responsibly, and this is the responsible thing to do. And..." He hesitated. "It's romantic, isn't it?"

Your eyes widened. You snatched the clothes from his hands and rushed into the bathroom to change. You splashed some water on your face, hoping to alleviate the heat radiating from your cheeks. It was a good thing you were already extremely tired, or trying to sleep would be almost impossible after all this stimulation. When you opened the door Levi was standing there shirtless, a mirror of the other night when this happened.

But this time it was different; this time you didn't have to hide your feelings. You let the remaining alcohol in your system do the talking. "Well, lookie here." You said, clicking your tongue.

He glanced at you. "Stop it. You need to sleep." He approached you, which made it hard not to look down and admire his muscular frame. He put his hands on your shoulders and turned you around, pushing you toward the bed. You groaned, but you knew he was right. You could fall over at any moment. And as soon as your head hit the pillow, you were out like a light.

Levi was glad it took you only that to fall asleep, because he still needed some time to process everything that just happened. Despite your insistence, he didn't have much experience with women. You were convinced the girls must be all over him, but that was really only true from afar. Most people were too intimidated to approach him, much less talk to him, which is why you captured his attention so much. You were never afraid of him.

He gazed at your sleeping form, noticing the way your chest rose and fell with each soft breath. Your mouth was slightly open, and your expression was peaceful. He wondered how much longer life would be like this. The scout legion had not gone outside the walls since the attack on Shinganshina, and it was only a matter of time before Erwin could convince the rest of the military to let expeditions resume. Levi knew that Erwin's aspirations to take back the land humanity lost would not die out any time soon.

His non-paperwork duties would come back, and he'd have to worry about losing men all over again. And now, he couldn't just push himself away from people so that the pain would be lesser when they died. Now, he had let someone in, and that means he's going to have work extra hard to make sure that someone survives.

He sighed. You were one of the strongest soldiers in the whole legion, second only because of your inexperience. He shouldn't worry about you as much as he was. After all, he's the reason you're here in the first place. But that was before he felt overly protective over you. He knew that was something he would have to struggle with. The last time he went beyond the walls with people he loved, he lost them. He couldn't let that happen again. As he looked at your sleeping face, he clenched his fists.

"This is the thing I can't bear to lose." He whispered. He thought about your earlier conversation, about what would happen if the titans were eradicated and people could live freely. He wanted so bad to be able to give that future to you, and he would give his all to do that. He leaned over your sleeping face, and bent down to press a soft kiss to your forehead. You stirred from the action, but didn't wake up.

He crossed the room to stare out the window, procrastinating sleep. But the truth was that he was exhausted, too. He had powered through all of his paperwork so that this weekend would be free of it, and it properly tired him out. He ripped his eyes away from the stars, knowing he had to get some sleep. He carefully lowered himself under the covers, making sure he wouldn't disturb you.

The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was your sleeping face, with a gentle smile on it. The good captain slept without disturbance, and he dreamt of a beautiful young woman making tea with him.

~

Levi awoke to a banging on his office door, and his eyes searched for your frame. Luckily you were still in his bed, fast asleep. He wondered who could be knocking at his door this early... but when his eyes drifted to the clock on the wall, he noticed it was already 9 AM. He threw on the first shirt he could find and tried to smooth down his messy bed-hair before opening the door, revealing a tall, blonde man.

His eyes travelled up to meet the blue orbs, and he was met with an indistinguishable expression. He couldn't read the commander.

"Good morning, captain," Erwin beamed, "I see someone's been sleeping in."

"Tch." Levi spat. "What do you want?"

His face changed to a serious expression. "I wanted to remind you that I need formal reports on the evaluations of the recruits." He said. But Levi could tell he wanted to say something else.

"Is there... something more?" He inquired.

Erwin wore an evil grin as he casually pointed to Levi's closed bedroom door. "Could you let (Y/N) know for me?"

Levi's eyes widened and he gripped the side of his door. It felt like his heart stopped. He looked anywhere but in Erwin's eyes, terrified to find out what the repercussions would be for romantic involvement with a subordinate.

Erwin lowered a large hand onto Levi's shoulder, causing him to jolt. "Don't worry, you aren't in any kind of trouble. In fact, I encouraged this."

Levi's face was so red that Erwin thought he might explode, and as if exactly on cue, Hanji strolled by the door. She bolted up to Levi. "OOOhhh... Did something happen? Are you guys together now??" Levi covered his face in his hands and Erwin tried to pull Hanji away from him, but she kept asking. "Is she in there right now? Did you guys kiss? Did you.... do you know what?"

"NO, Hanji, shut the hell up!" Levi yelled. The three officers heard a banging from the closed bedroom, and then a pained groan. Levi rushed over to the door, but he couldn't get there before it opened, revealing you standing there in his baggy clothes, rubbing the back of your head. Your eyes had not yet adjusted to see the two unexpected visitors in the room, so you addressed Levi as if he were the only one there.

"Good morning... shorty." You said, rubbing your eyes. Levi panicked and frantically pushed you back into the bedroom and slammed the door, leaning back on it and looking to Erwin and Hanji. Erwin was speechless with delight.

Hanji laughed. "I don't know if I should be more surprised about that, or the fact that you let her call you 'shorty' without beating her up."

"Get. Out." He seethed through gritted teeth.

The two looked at each other. Technically they didn't have to listen to him, since they both ranked higher, but something told them staying here would be dangerous to their health. So, they nodded at each other and backed out the door, softly closing it behind them.

Levi sighed as your soft knocks echoed throughout the room. "Hey... what was that for?" He heard your muffled voice say through the door.

Levi opened it and was met with your face once again. He couldn't think of any convenient lies. "I.. uh, Hanji and Erwin decided to stop by."

"Oh, that's nice." You said, pausing for a second. "Wait, they were here? Did they see me??"

He reached his hand to the back of his neck to scratch at it awkwardly. "Yeah. They did." He breathed out.

Your eyes widened in shock. "Oh man, I'm so sorry, Levi, I'm such an idiot!"

"Watch it." He said, placing a hand on your cheek to calm you. "Only I get to call you an idiot. Now hurry up and get out, your breath stinks. Don't forget that we were going to train today." He said.

Right, you thought. He did say something in one of his letters about training right away once you got back. He probably assumed you weren't working out every day with the cadets, which was half-true. You participated in some of their exercises, but you'd admit you did spend a considerable time hanging around your friends and taking 'breaks for researching.'

You started to head out the door, but couldn't get it open before Levi cleared his throat loudly. "Ahem... clothes?" He raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to broadcast everything to the whole regiment?"

"Oh! Right, sorry. But while we're on that topic... Are we keeping this a secret or something? I hope you know that I'm going to need to tell all of my friends. They were all gung-ho for this while I was at the training corps. Plus, Hanji and Erwin already know too." You explained.

"I was told the whole regiment could tell something was up with you and I. I think we're past the point of secrecy." He huffed.

"Okay... then that begs another question. What exactly-"

"Save the questions for later, cadet, I'm as lost as you are. Just... just get out and we'll figure it out later. I'll see you in the mess in 15, then we'll start training." He waved you off, and you went to change in his bathroom, then gave him a swift goodbye as you left the office.

He felt a little bad for brushing you off like he did, but he knew where your thought was going and he didn't know if he was ready for that kind of question yet. He only knows how to deject away from things. Last night was hard enough for him to come to terms with his feelings, and the little that the alcohol did was necessary to get him to that point. Levi was completely out of touch with his emotions, and trying to dissect them all in the span of a couple of days was pretty much impossible.

He was comfortable with the existing flirty friendship the two of you had before, and now you're floating in a mid ground between that and a full-blown boyfriend & girlfriend relationship. He wasn't sure if he was ready to take that big step forward yet. He knew that he could get there; he just needed some time to collect his thoughts; not long. He'd try to explain this to you later. He was sure you could understand him about this. You'd understood everything else about him so far. He hoped you weren't too put off by his attitude.

He fixed himself up and headed over to the mess hall for a late breakfast, seeing faces he normally wouldn't. He would usually go to breakfast as early as possible, to avoid as many people as he could. But now he was forced to encounter a large concentration of people, and it just happened to be when his mind was completely clouded. A lot of soldiers noticed the captain's pensive state, and wondered what he could be thinking about. Of course, a select few really knew. Their mouths were shut, though. Hanji and Erwin kept to chatting to each other only, for which Levi was extremely grateful.

You had reached the mess hall a lot later than you wanted, since you decided to take a quick shower beforehand. Levi was enjoying his last sips of black tea when you hurriedly sat down next to him, shoveling food in your mouth. Usually he would utter some kind of insult about you eating like a pig or being repulsive, but this time he just side-eyed you. Hanji looked forward at the two of you in childlike wonder.

She dramatically took off her glasses and wiped the lenses before fastening them back on her head. "Wow... you've turned the captain into an angel, (Y/N)." She said.

You stopped mid-chew, almost allowing a bit of food to fall from your lips. You looked up at the woman, who wore a smug grin on her face. Since your mouth was full, Levi spoke for you. "You were onto both of us the whole time, weren't you?" He said.

She raised her hands up in the air in a surrender position. "You got me. Both of you came to me at separate times, what was I supposed to do? It's not my fault you guys love me so much...."

"Shove it, four eyes." Levi scoffed, fighting a smirk.

You were glad you could basically bury yourself in your meal, because the redness of your face would have only egged Hanji on. She clapped her hands together. "Ah, all right. I'll leave you two lovebirds. My lab's open if you want to visit today, (Y/N)." She said as she stood up.

Levi crossed his arms. "(Y/N) will be training with me today." He declared.

"OOoooh... Alrighty, kiddos. Have fun!!!" She sang as she skipped off.

Levi glanced at you knowingly as you swallowed your last bite of food. "Here I was thinking she'd lay off on the teasing. Guess I was wrong."

You chuckled. "That doesn't happen very often." You stood up to clean up your dishes, and as you walked away you brushed your fingertips on Levi's shoulder. He tensed up, still unsure how to be acting with you in front of other people. He knew there wasn't really a point in keeping things secret, but he still felt uncomfortable with flaunting your newfound romance. He felt like all the eyes were on him, which normally would be fine, but it was completely different in this new and unstudied context.

When you returned you reached for his hand, but without thinking he swiftly pulled it away before you could touch him. His scared and confused eyes met your concerned ones.

"I-I... I'm sorry, (Y/N)... I just don't know about all this. In public..." He scanned his eyes around the room, expecting to see all eyes on him. In reality, the people who were in the mess hall were preoccupied with their own endeavors, not concerned with the captain and his subordinate at all. However, that didn't make Levi feel any better for some reason. "I don't know why I'm being like this. I'd get it if you're no longer interested..."

"No, I understand. You just want to take things slow. I'm perfectly fine with that." You said, giving him a soft smile. You couldn't bear to listen to him denigrate himself for another second. "Just let me know whenever you aren't comfortable, and I'll stop whatever I'm doing." It was a bit surprising to you how nervous Levi would be about this, but Hanji did mention to you once that he gets nervous around people he likes or wants to impress. She's rarely ever seen it but you knew her word was as good as anything.

"Thanks." He said. Levi was relieved you were able to put to words what he couldn't. Taking it slow seemed like the perfect solution. He must admit he was slightly embarrassed at his own inexperience with these things, even after reading dozens of romance novels to prepare himself for the eventuality. It seems you just had more of a natural affinity for it.

He got up from his seat and lead you out into the courtyard. "We'll start with some stretches, then we'll go on a run." He said. You dropped to the ground to work on your warm-ups.

The two of you ran all around the courtyard of headquarters, passing the outline of the forest. You kept up pretty well with Levi, trailing behind him by only a few feet. He suddenly took a turn off of the path and into the forest, onto a barely-worn down trail paved with dead leaves. You followed without question.

After a few minutes you were properly in the woods, clear from the sights and sounds of headquarters. Levi slowed down to a stop in front of a small clearing. In front of him was a large field of blue and purple wildflowers, contained only by the large trees surrounding the area. You had never seen this before, but you recognized the flowers. 

"Dang... they're spreading still." He said, lifting a hand to his forehead. "But they sure as hell are pretty though, right?"

"They're beautiful. These are what you gave to me a little while ago, right?"

"Yeah." He said. He turned around to face you; the dappled sunlight on his face made him look like a beautiful painting. You could hardly believe he was real- it was quite unfair for all other men in the world for one so handsome as him to exist.

He continued to speak. "When I saw them, I thought of you. I had been running here for a few months, and I kept noticing that the group of flowers kept getting larger. It's because they're an invasive species. It made me think of you because of how you've managed to invade my mind. I can barely keep my thoughts off of you enough to get my work done. And I'm fine with it, just like this forest is. We let it grow... because it's beautiful."

You blushed at his poetic words. He was normally very articulate, but when he had to confront his feelings about you, he would always lose his composure. It was like he had rehearsed this to himself. You took a step forward and reached for his hands that were dangling at his sides. He let you touch him, now that you were far enough away from any other human.

You pressed your body against his and wrapped your arms around his waist. He tensed up at first like he always would when you hugged him, but soon he embraced you as well. You heard him grunt a little; he wanted to say something to you.

You leaned back, still keeping your arms hooked around him. You searched his face as he visibly struggled for the words. Nervous Levi was back. "I don't really know how to ask this... (Y/N)... will you... will you be..."

"Yes, Levi, I'll be your girlfriend." You read his mind. Sometimes you liked to torture him and let him power through the stutters, but you wanted this to hurry up so you could just kiss him already. His eyes softened and you pulled his face toward yours, crashing your lips together in the process.

The kiss was more hungry than before, but still gentle in a respectful kind of way. You wanted Levi badly, but you also wanted to make sure he was comfortable. For a second you stopped kissing him to look in his eyes, searching for clearance to keep going.

His eyes were full of fiery passion, which told you it was alright to continue. You kissed him a bit harsher. It felt interesting to have so much dominance over your superior officer; in your dreams this is not how you imagined your relationship going. Levi was so domineering in every other area- you guessed it only made sense for him to be like this in some capacity. You would have never guessed it would be with romance, though. He would definitely gain more confidence with time, but you liked this dynamic, too.

It was Levi who pulled away after a while. He smirked. "Cadet, did you think you could distract me from finishing training for the day?" 

"No...." you mumbled. You hadn't thought that was even an option before. Not like you wanted to skip training anyway, you were just as committed to the scouts as you were before. He lifted a finger to your chin, letting it linger there for a second. Then he turned on his heel and resumed running again, leaving you in the dust.

What a tease. You thought, picking up the pace again. 

~

The next week went by so fast that you almost forgot you needed to write a letter to your friends. You had finished your formal report on the recruits and handed it in to Commander Erwin, so now you were free to do what you wanted. You approached Levi's office door, knocking twice like always. It was interesting how much your relationship hadn't really changed- you still spent about the same amount of time with him; it was just that now you could kiss him and stuff.

You walked in the room and Levi was busy dusting his shelves. He pulled down his dust mask and put a hand on his hip. "You here to help me clean?"

You laughed. "You wish. I've been forgetting to write Mylius a letter all this time. He's probably waiting on me... I feel bad. So I gotta send one right away. Is Miller still around HQ?"

"I believe so." Levi said. He resumed to dusting the bookshelves, but you noticed he was having some trouble reaching the top shelf. An evil grin spread across your face. 

"Need help?" You chuckled. 

"Shut up." He mumbled. "You said you weren't going to help me, anyway. Just write your dumb letter."

You walked towards him. "You know there's no way you can reach that top shelf."

"Tch. Neither can you, idiot." He scoffed. Suddenly his feet were off the ground. "Wh-hey! What do you think you're doing?" The angry midget sat on your shoulders as you gripped his legs. This was no struggle for you; you were plenty equipped with the strength to lift a person after all of your rigorous training. This was just very unexpected. 

"I'm helping." You said. You lifted Levi to the perfect height for full view of the top shelf. He couldn't argue, this was exactly what he needed. So, he just sighed and reluctantly cleaned the shelf, meticulously dusting around each book. This shelf was considerably more dusty because he never was able to reach it. The thought angered him for some reason. He was usually never bothered by his height unless someone made fun of him or it limited his abilities in some way. But this was completely new; you weren't making fun of him, you were just helping genuinely. He didn't know how to respond to this kind of thing, so he resorted to his default, which was just annoyance. 

"I'm done, you can stop now." He muttered. You giggled and backed away from the shelf, keeping him on your shoulders. "(Y/N)." He protested. You could almost feel him getting angrier by the second. It was quite entertaining for you, but you knew you couldn't toy with him for long. 

Just as you were about to bend down to let him off, he threw himself off of you, clearly not patient enough to wait. But the combination of him doing this and your process of bending over caused both of you to lose your balance, slamming onto the ground with a loud bang. You were fine, but Levi had just fallen from higher up, so you scrambled over to him in a panicked frenzy. 

"Levi! I was just about to put you down, why did you do that??" You lifted your hand to his face. He had landed on his back, but his face only showed signs of frustration, not pain. He peeled your hand off of him and leaned up. 

"That was your fault, idiot." He said. 

"I'm sorry..." You said, your face downcast. He hated it when you got like that. He was mad for a second, but seeing you so dejected just turned his anger to guilt.

"No... no, it's fine. You were just helping me. I... could have exercised a little more patience." He said. You looked up at him. 

"Are you hurt?" You asked. 

"No, it's not like you're that tall either. I'm fine." He got to his feet and held out his hand to help you up. "You wanted to write your letter, didn't you? Go ahead. Just... don't make me sound too soft. I still need to keep my reputation." He said with a reassuring voice. The captain was being overly calm, probably trying to compensate for his hotheadedness just a few moments ago. He went back to cleaning the office and you readied yourself to write a letter. 

You thought about what you would write. Your friends had told you they wanted details... but you didn't exactly want to write down the details of Levi's luscious lips on military-grade paper and have it sent through official military lines. So you'd settle for more vague storytelling. If your friends complained, they can just get over it. You can tell them the next time they see you in person. You sighed and put the pen to paper. 

Mylius, 

I am so sorry for my late response, I was so preoccupied with everything that I almost forgot I needed to write to you right away. I spent this week on training and detailed cadet evaluations so I was really distracted. But do not worry, I am here to tell you all the juicy details now. 

Big surprise, I told Levi I liked him and he told me he liked me back. I feel like a little elementary school kid when I say that, but it's the truth. Hanji and Commander Erwin knew about it right away, which was kind of weird at first, but it ended up being really great because neither one of us are in trouble for ~workplace relations~ and such. Anyway, I'll tell you a brief story of what happened; I can tell you more at your graduation. 

You remember when I told Levi I wanted to get wasted with him in one of my letters I sent when I was with you? Well, he took it seriously. On Friday night, we got some drinks and I was properly buzzed. It was good though, because I don't know if I would have had the guts to say anything if I wasn't intoxicated. And it was me who made the first move, with everything. I told him I liked him first and I kissed him first. It's kind of weird, Levi isn't very dominating with this stuff. I would have expected him to be, but he prefers to take things really slow. He isn't really comfortable with PDA, which is fine with me, I don't really care. It's just not what I thought would happen. What do you think? Is this completely out of character for him?

Anyway, our relationship hasn't really changed all that much to be honest, we can just be openly flirty and romantic with each other when we're alone. A few nights we've gone on little walks around the courtyard when everyone else is asleep, and then he'll hold my hand and it's really cute. Also, he's getting way more lenient when I call him short and stuff. I just think it's funny, I honestly never cared about his height in the slightest. I don't know why he's so self-conscious about it, but whatever. I hope I'm not being too mean to him. But something tells me he's got pretty thick skin. 

How fast did you and Altiena go with things when you started dating? I feel like the whole regiment knows about us already, but it's not like we've come out officially and referred to each other in public as 'boyfriend & girlfriend,' and I don't think that's going to happen soon either. I just don't really have much experience with a real relationship, you know?

And another thing I could not believe. Levi has had almost no experience with women; he didn't say I was his first kiss, but he sure is acting like I was. The guy's a dreamboat; surely I can't have been the only person to notice. He's had to have had ladies all over him for his whole life, right? Or am I crazy?

Let me know how everyone is doing, and feel free to share this letter with all of them. I love you guys so much and I can't wait for your graduation. What will it be, a few months now? I'm gonna be counting down the days. 

Miss you,   
(Y/N)

~

A few months later

~

Commander Erwin stood on a stage, proudly displaying the scouts flag to the 102nd training corps. You hung in the back of the courtyard, standing near Levi and Hanji. You watched the backs of your friends heads as they were filled with determination. 

Silva had finished top of the class, which was no surprise. Mylius had come second, which you didn't expect but did make a lot of sense. He was always physically gifted, and he had the same pre-training that you did before you started officially in the military. Renko ranked about six in the lineup, falling behind only because of his test grades. Altiena just barely made the cut at number 10. 

It didn't really matter if any of them got in the top of the class, though, since they weren't proceeding on to the Military Police like most people do. All four of them were set on the Survey Corps. Ella and Jun had joined the garrison, so when Erwin reached the climax of his speech, they fell away with the others, only leaving the remainder of soldiers willing to give their lives for the fight against the titans. There were about ten cadets remaining. Some of them were notable; you remembered writing good notes about them on your visit a few months ago. 

You were sad that not all of your friends would join you in the scouts, but you had to come to grips with the reality that not everyone is willing to throw their life away like you are, nor are they all as naturally gifted. The truth was that you were still worried about your friends who were joining, regardless of their inherent strength. You still needed to make sure they were going to be safe. 

Because of your hypothetical rank as Levi's second hand, you had the privilege of riding in a carriage with him, Hanji, and Erwin on the way to and from headquarters. You poked your head out of it every once in a while to wave to your friends, who were feeling the pain of long horse-rides much like you were the first time on this journey. The ride was silent for most of the way, until Erwin spoke. 

"I am hopeful for the future of the scout legion. I've heard great things about these new recruits from you, (Y/N). I'm going to place them under your direct supervision, squad leader."

Your eyes widened. "Wait, squad leader? Can you really just give out ranks like that?" Your eyes flicked around the cabin, meeting Hanji and Levi's unsuspecting gazes. They didn't have the answer, either. "I haven't even fought a real titan yet."

"I have no doubt you are the right person for this, (Y/N). Your leadership skills have been squandered until now; you will be responsible for the training and commanding of the 102nd corps." Erwin declared. He said things with such conviction that you couldn't even argue with him. What he said was fact; who were you to defy him, the commander of the Survey Corps?

"Thank you, Commander. I won't disappoint you. I will do everything in my power to make sure those cadets are trained well."

"Woo! Congrats, (Y/N)!" Hanji exclaimed, letting out her excitement. She had to know Erwin would offer you this position. You wondered if Levi already knew, too.

You smiled. "Thanks, Hanji." 

Levi crossed his arms. "You sure you want to give the responsibility to this brat, Erwin? She's a loose cannon." He said jokingly.

Erwin grinned. "Yes, I am confident with my choices. I don't have any regrets."

Hanji pouted. "Leviiii... that's no way to talk about your girlfriend~ OW!" He stomped on her foot, then ignored her like she didn't say anything. "That hurt..." She whimpered. 

Erwin offered you an apologetic smile, but you let loose and burst out laughing. You didn't really know exactly what was so funny, but you just couldn't control yourself any longer. Hanji and Levi's antics just pushed you over the edge this time. Something about them reminded you of you and Mylius, and now thoughts of him didn't have to be sad anymore. Now you were able to be with your old friends and your new friends. Things were really looking up for you. 

Hanji joined in with you and your almost-maniacal laugh, and Erwin even chuckled along. Levi looked at the three of you like you were insane, which he might be right about. The truth was that everyone in this carriage was off their rocker in some way. 

The rest of the journey home consisted of the rare moments of silence between Hanji's rants about her sciences, which you could only pay attention to for so long. At some point, Levi's hand rested on top of yours. It made your heart do backflips. He was finally initiating some form of affection right in front of people. This was a sign of progress for sure.

~

A few months later

~

"Go, Go, GO!" You yelled as the cadets practiced quickly equipping their ODM gear. You would time them and make sure they were improving on each go. Each cadet had all the basic skills they needed for general military combat, but speed was of the essence in the scout regiment. Soldiers need to be able to reload their gear quickly, and be able to get out of any situation fast. You would often bring the group of ten cadets to towns with large buildings, situating them in places that were nearly impossible to get out of, and forcing them to escape from a hypothetical titan. This was valuable training that would help them in the eventuality of a titan attack. You knew this to be true. 

These cadets were some of the finest you'd ever seen. You knew that already about Renko, Altiena, Mylius, and Silva, but you'd now formed bonds with the six others, Mia, Connor, Jeremiah, Elias, Simon, and Katherine.

Of course, everything you learned (and subsequently taught) training-wise was from Levi at this point. Your thoughts drifted to a time he brought you to a town like the one you were in now to work on your own pinpoint ODM skills.

~

"Alright, cadet, that's enough for today. Sun's going down, you can be done now." Levi dropped his arm that was clutching the stopwatch. You came down from the rooftops, exhausted. You were a few hours away from HQ; Levi brought you here under the excuse of good ODM practice, but the real reason he wanted to come here was because of a legendary tea shop that happened to be in this village. After you had removed your gear, he started walking away from the horses.

You trotted along behind him, too tired to even ask where he was going. The man was on a mission. You had only been training with him for a few months, but that was enough to know you shouldn't question him when he got like this. 

He rounded a corner, and you followed, revealing a wooden sign hanging from a building. In paint it read the name of the place, which was called simply "Tea."  
You giggled a little at the uninspired name, but Levi didn't hesitate. He walked into the shop, which only had a few people inside. All of the eyes landed on the pair of you; the chronically short man and his subordinate who looked on the brink of passing out.

A cheery old woman approached him and said "Just two?" to which he nodded, and she led you to a small booth. She poured two cups of water and left the pitcher on the table, which you were grateful for. You'd surely be downing that as soon as she walked away. She carefully laid a small menu down on the table. "I'll be back in a few minutes! You kids figure out what ya want!" She said as she smiled, then hobbled away to the back, disappearing into a curtain that concealed the kitchen.

Levi didn't even bother looking at the menu; he knew was he was here for. He turned it toward you and inched it into your view. You looked up at him. 

"What, are you treating me?"

"Sure. I may have dragged you out here because I wanted to go to this place....The ODM training was a cover-up." He confessed. 

"Knew it." You smiled. Your eyes scanned the small menu, which was decorated with little hand-drawn flowers and frilly printed words. You were kind of surprised this place was in Levi's taste, but he did seem comfortable here. 

You were able to enjoy a packed meal just a little while ago, so you weren't too hungry. But that changed when you saw a certain item on the menu: blueberry scones. You let your finger lay on the menu item, alerting to Levi that your heart was set on this. He noticed, and watched for the old woman to come back to take your orders. You were too busy alleviating your thirst when she showed up, so Levi spoke for you. 

"I will have a black tea, please, and she will have a blueberry scone." He said with the most polite voice he could muster. The woman took the menu and smiled, saying something to the effect of your order being ready soon. You were preoccupied with being hydrated.

"Thanks, Levi." You said after you had finished all the water on the table, save for his untouched cup.

"You didn't even get the scone yet. What if it's disgusting?"

You giggled. "Well, it still would have been a nice gesture even if it turns out bad. But I don't think it will be. So my thanks still stands."

"Whatever." He mumbled.The woman returned a few moments later with your confections. 

Levi slowly lifted the teacup to his mouth, holding it in his strange way as usual. The woman lingered, and waited for him to start drinking before she decided to speak. 

"How is the honeymoon going, you two?"

Levi's whole body lurched forward, and he reacted so violently you though tea might have shot out of his nostrils. He quickly set the tea down and erupted into a fit of coughing. You watched as he tried to recover from his response. You had no idea what to say to the lady, but you were the only one fit to speak at the moment. 

"Good." Was all you could think to say. Levi stared at you with wide eyes. You shot him a look that said 'just go along with it.'

"Wonderful!" She clapped her hands together and offered a wide smile.

"Actually.." Levi said, his voice hoarse from the coughing. "I think we'll get a divorce soon." He said, feeling no remorse. 

The woman's expression changed to heavy confusion. You glared at the man, then snapped your attention back to the elder. "I'm sorry, what my 'darling' means to say is that this place might save our marriage. No pressure, though. I love it already."

"Tch." Levi scoffed. 

The woman was properly confused. She elected to flee. "Oh, okay! Enjoy..." She said, hurrying away from the pair of you.

Levi looked at you with narrow eyes. 

"What? Did you want me to tell her you're my captain and you dragged your subordinate hours away from headquarters so that you could go to this frilly tea shop?" You argued. 

He groaned. "I guess you make a good point, but now we can't ever come back here."

You took a bite of the scone. It was heavenly. "We have to. This is delicious."

"I have to agree." He said after taking a normal sip of his tea, free of surprises. "But you kind of ruined it."

"We can just use the power of 'acting' to get us through." You emphasized the word 'acting' with enhanced drama.

"Whatever." He sighed.

~

Now that the two of you were in a committed romantic relationship, maybe you could go back to that tea shop one day without having to act. But you were getting ahead of yourself. Levi said there really was no time for marriage, and you were taking things slow. 

You rid your mind of such thoughts and focused again on the cadet's training. Mylius, Silva, Renko, Altiena, and the other six recruits had made great strides in their skills since coming to the scouts. They would all be fine soldiers that you were excited to work alongside as their squad leader. Your responsibilities had changed a bit around HQ nowadays, you had your own personal paperwork to do; still not as much as Levi's, so you did help him every once and a while with his work. But it did seem like the load was lighter recently. The reason there was always so much work to do was because Erwin was always working on arguing his case for new Survey Corps expeditions. Levi had to do all the dirty work and never got any recognition for it, except for from you. You would always be his number one supporter, and he was grateful for that. 

But since his paperwork load was lighter, he would sometimes come and watch over your training of the new recruits. He knew he would be pleased with your work, and he was. You had learned things from him and expanded upon them in great ways. He was always impressed with your innovation. You never ceased to amaze him.

Things were also a lot different now that your friends were here with you. You spent more time with them; the four bright-eyes recruits breaking bread at the same table as the highest-ranking officers in the legion, bridged by you.

Evenings were full of laugher with friends, and nights were full of quality time with Levi. It had become regular for you to sleep over with him every few nights, so you kept some extra toiletries in his bathroom. It was kind of funny how you half-lived in his office. You had always had your own designated drawer in his desk.

When you were promoted, you were given the option of your own small office, but it was in a completely different building than Hanji and Levi. You asked if you could keep working in Levi's office, and of course Erwin had no problem with that. He granted that request right away, moving more filling cabinets into Levi's office. He would have been upset about that, but if it meant you were able to stay with him during the day, he'd never complain about it. 

Days and weeks passed like nothing, and day by day Levi got more comfortable with showing his love for you in public. He would never get to the point of being too possessive, but there was one time where you had been conversing with a fellow male soldier (who happened to be tall), and Levi came up from behind you and put his arm around you, quite literally claiming you as his. The soldier hadn't been flirting with you or anything, but he still felt weird after that. You gave Levi a little lecture, telling him you'd never let anyone flirt with you without beating them up afterward. He seemed satisfied with your response, so he didn't act jealous or possessive after that. It was kind of nice once time, though. It showed you he really did care.

With each passing day you felt like life was getting better. It was easy to think this when you didn't have to worry about titans yet, though. You knew the 104th training corps would be graduating soon, and you'd be able to see your favorite trio of kids again. The last time you saw them was a few months ago, when you went to do cadet evaluations. Levi actually came with you, that time. 

It kind of felt like that week was a vacation; you stayed in the captain's quarters together, sharing a bed and a living space. It felt peaceful. Every moment like that with Levi was like a taste of the possible future you could have if you were able to defeat all of the titans. Part of you was happy in this limbo state, but you knew you could never have true peace without the eradication of humanity's biggest threat.

You rolled over in Levi's sheets to watch his sleeping face. His soft lips glistened in the moonlight that spilled through the cracks in the window, and you relished in this moment. It wasn't often that Levi would sleep before you. In the couple of years you've dated, there had only been a few times that you got to watch him like this. It was one of your favorite things, which made it even more special that it was rare.

There was one thing clear in your mind when you looked at Levi. You loved this man, and you wanted to do everything in your power to attain the future you both deserved. He had been through so much. 

Your eyelids became heavy and you drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a future sans titans.

~


	11. Chapter 11

You awoke to the sounds of quiet but intense sobs, feeling the small man beside you clutching onto your body like a child clinging to his mother. Your heart sank when you saw his tear-streaked face, and he was covered in a cold sweat, making his hair matted. You shook him, and he soon stilled.

This kind of thing had escalated recently. Levi would have nightmares in which something happened to you, and you'd wake up to him clinging to you like it was the reality. It broke your heart to see him like this. You always reassured him you weren't going to die, but today that would be a harder thing to tell him.

Erwin had finally arranged for a new expedition outside the walls to take place. That just happened to be today. After five years without incident, you were confident nothing would go wrong, but you never knew. Plus, you might not be along with Levi the whole time, since you were a squad leader. It was all up to Erwin what happened out there.

Your life was left up to uncertainty. You stroked Levi's hair as he shuttered, still clinging to you. Usually his embrace would feel comforting, but now it felt sickening. You knew there was a possibility of never having this again. Either one or both of you could die out there today. You were less worried about Levi, though. Titans were barely a threat to him. You didn't even know yet how you would handle yourself out there.

Levi took a deep breath. He buried his face in your chest as you continued to pet the back of his head. This kind of thing usually comforted him, but today seemed to be weighing heavily on both of your hearts.

Part of you felt like this was your fault he was feeling bad. If you hadn't gotten close to him, it would been easier for him to remove emotion from his job, but now that's impossible. He will be concerned about where you are and how you're doing the whole time. Levi trusts Erwin wholeheartedly, but sometimes he worries. Erwin is always looking at the big picture, while Levi pays attention to all the details. That's probably why they're such a powerful duo.

Levi looked up at you, your faces only inches away. His eyes were red and puffy, and his dark circles were even more pronounced than usual. "Can we just stay like this all day? Pretend we're not in the military?"

You sighed and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, tasting his salty perspiration. "You know we can't." You said. He reached his hand to cup your cheek, and you pressed your face into his palm. "We have duties, Levi."

"I know." He said, searching your eyes.

"I know you're worried for me, but I'm strong and you know it. I have all the skills needed to fight titans, and I'm not scared of them."

"You can't say that for sure yet. You haven't fought them up close." 

"I'm strong enough. You don't need to worry about me out there."

He mumbled. "Isabel and Furlan were strong, too." It wasn't often he brought up his late friends, so when he did you knew he was gravely serious. You wanted so badly to cure his sorrows but it just seemed impossible at this point. He had convinced himself that you were in danger, and all you could do was try to tell him you would be fine. 

He gently rubbed his thumb on your cheek. "Levi, do you trust me?" You said.

"Of course I do."

"Then believe me when I say everything will be fine, okay?" You said, stroking his matted hair.

"You can't control everything that happens out there. No matter how strong you are, titans are still a threat." He said with a shaky voice. "I would never be able to forgive myself if I lost you out there. (Y/N)... I... I can't lose another person. Not again."

You brought his lips to yours and gave him a reassuring kiss. As he closed his eyes tightly, more tears fell from them. He gripped your face hungrily, not wanting this to ever end. This kiss was full of passion, love, and sadness. He poured his frustration into it, letting himself get a little too rough with you. He let his hands roam around your body, running them over your shoulders and your waist. If your bodies weren't already together under the sheets he would have pulled you closer to him.

This was one of the instances when Levi had started being dominating in the relationship. It took him a while to get here, but he definitely felt more natural like this. You had adopted a more passive role, and lately a comforting role. As soon as Erwin announced a new expedition would happening, Levi had started having these nightmares nearly three times a week.

Levi didn't care about work anymore. He didn't care about being late; all he wanted right now was you. He wished the rest of the world would just pause so that he and you could do whatever you wanted without fear. Life was moving too fast, and he couldn't catch up.

You pulled away from him, bringing the man back to reality. "We're going to be late if we don't get up soon..." You said.

Levi brushed his fingers on your face, studying your soft morning skin. "How long can we stay without being late, then?" 

You glanced at the clock. "Probably around ten minutes, if we hurry up. You need to take a shower, though."

He grumbled and curled up, hooking his arms around your body again. You tried to enjoy every second of those ten minutes, but time was cruel, and it eventually ended. Levi begrudgingly got out of bed and made his way to the shower, as you sat quietly in the sheets, procrastinating leaving their warmth and returning to the unforgiving straps of your uniform. 

I am not going to die today. You promised yourself. You could never forgive yourself if you let Levi experience the despair your death would bring upon him. Not to mention, you had to lead your squad of ten. There's no way you're dying, or letting any of them die either. You are here to preserve humanity, and that's what you'll do. You fastened your uniform with conviction, filling yourself with determined thoughts. 

When Levi appeared post-shower, he looked a lot better. You smiled at him, and he used all of his willpower to give you a genuine smile back before holding you in a tight embrace. 

"I love you with everything I have, (Y/N). And I trust you. Neither of us is going to die today.”

~

You rode horses through Trost district, as the general public gathered around the group of scouts much like they did in Shinganshina five years ago. Has it really been that long? You rode next to Levi, with Hanji on the other side. Your ten soldiers trailed behind you. In Erwin's plan, this expedition was just for surveying the land, not engaging in combat with titans. But you knew that sometimes combat was necessary. You were confident you and your squad had the skills you needed to take down a titan if you had to.

Your excitement for finally going outside the walls had overtaken you at this point. In front of you, the commander let out some inspiring cry, and the soldiers' horses around you started to break into a run. You followed suit, watching Levi beside you. He looked as bored as ever, but you knew how he was really feeling inside. You glanced behind you to see the shining faces of your best friends. You reached the end of the gate, almost to the outside world.

The sun almost blinded you upon reaching the other side of the wall. It was beautiful. The last time you were this far away from the interior was when you were fleeing Shinganshina. Levi chuckled beside you. "Not bad, right?" 

"Yeah..." You whispered. 

"WOOOO! We're doing it, (Y/N)!" Silva yelled behind you.

Levi looked back at her "That's squad leader, cadet." He said, pulling her strings. 

Levi had gotten a lot more comfortable around your friends ever since they joined the scouts. He and Silva would always be fighting with one another, and Renko would always try to shut her down because he was still scared of Levi. 

Silva stuck out her tongue at the captain and you laughed.

Mylius smirked. "Alright, squad leader, let's go." Your formation broke off to the left, but not the outermost left wing. This way, Levi could still vaguely see where you were by the time all of the groups were farthest from each other. You were sure Erwin had done this on purpose. 

You rode on with pride. A few minutes later, the far right shot off a red signal flare. That means a titan was spotted. They didn't need to engage if it wasn't necessary, but you wondered if they would have to. You couldn't see where they were from all the way on the other side of the plains. You couldn't worry about them for long, though, because you looked ahead and saw it. 

An abnormal. 15 meters, to be exact.

It ran toward your squad with unparalleled speed. You knew the horses would not be able to outrun this; you would have to engage. You readied yourself to propel off of your horse, but waited a second before jumping off. There was a large tree in between you and the titan, so if you waited just a minute longer you could use the tree for leverage. That would give you a much better chance than just fighting from the flat ground. 

"Fall back! I will handle this! Mylius, send out a black signal flare!" You yelled to your squad. In any other situation they would have argued with you, but you were their commanding officer, so they had to listen. Their horses slowed down as yours sped up. You watched the titan, pushing away any ounce of fear you had. You remembered the promise you made to yourself. "You are not allowed to die here." You said through gritted teeth. 

The black smoke shot up behind you, alerting Levi to your position. He wanted so badly to rush to your aid, but he knew he couldn't abandon his own post. From the distance he was able to see the titan coming your way, though. His eyes were stricken with fear when he saw the thing. He could only trust in your abilities at this point. 

You neared the large tree, then shot your grappling hooks toward it, waiting for the right moment that the abnormal titan would run by. When it got close enough, you aimed right above its nape, confident you could kill this thing. This would be your first titan kill ever. You didn't need to do it just to say you have, either. If you didn't get rid of this thing right now it would ravage your squad and possibly the whole formation. Though, if you couldn't kill it, you knew Levi could.

You flew through the air with such speed that you thought your grapples might give way, but ODM gear was trustworthy. Your ropes held, and you neared the titan's nape. With a swift, deep cut from both of your blades, you had successfully sliced exactly the right spot on the titan. You rode the back of its head as it toppled to the ground, earning a loud bang as it did so.

You looked down at your hands covered in titan blood. 

I did it. 

Your squad reached you and the steaming mess. You whistled for your horse and in a few seconds it had appeared. 

"That was incredible, (Y/N). I would have never thought you hadn't done that before." Mylius said. 

"Well, it's not like I was training for nothing." You said. "You all should be able to do this too, if you've learned well."

"Ugh, you sound like an old person." Renko whined. 

"(Y/N) You are so cool!!" Alteina exclaimed as her horse galloped up to the group. 

"No time for celebration, friends, we still have a job to do." You raised your arm in the air. "Move forward!" You commanded. You were glad you had succeeded in front of your friends. You hoped that would ease any of their doubts about their own strengths. None of the soldiers were as strong as you, much less Levi, but they were still some of the finest the scouts had to offer. You knew their talents wouldn't be wasted when it came time to fight titans. You just hoped they all went as smoothly as your first kill did.

You pressed on, knowing it would take a full day to fulfill Erwin's plans for this expedition. You felt like you were ready to take on anything at this point.

Levi was relieved, too. He managed to make out a tiny image of you killing the titan from where he was. It made him feel a lot better. Knowing you could kill a titan- a 15-meter abnormal one no less- helped build his trust in you. He didn't have to worry so much anymore. He could focus on his own job now.

~

You had stopped for a brief meeting in a clearing, still out in titan country. All of the soldiers were posted around the core, and if anyone saw a titan you were packing up immediately. There didn't seem to be any, though. You walked over the soft grass to meet with Hanji, Erwin, and Levi. Mylius came with you as your second hand. You listened to Erwin's plan; careful to catch every detail. If you didn't hear something, Mylius would. He was always excellent with directions.

After Erwin was finished speaking, you all saluted him and he walked off toward his horse. You didn't need to set off yet, but Mylius took his leave toward your other 9 soldiers. Hanji followed Erwin to ask some follow up questions, which left you and Levi standing alone. He held his hand out for you to shake.

You took it and looked at him quizzically. "Why so formal, Captain?" You smiled.

"I am commending you for your excellent work, squad leader." He tried to keep up the charade for a second, but it soon fell away. He turned your hand around in his, noticing that the titan's blood had all but steamed off of your skin by now. "I could see you when you took down that abnormal. I must say I was impressed."

"Come on now, what were you expecting?" You put your hands on your hips. "I'm a natural at this stuff."

"Yeah." He said, looking pensive. "Just... don't get too comfortable. You're strong, but you're not immortal."

"I should say the same to you." You raised your eyebrows.

The man pursed his lips. "I'll see you on the other side, then." He said, taking a step backward toward his horse and his squad.

"Yes, sir." You playfully saluted.

Mylius and the others were waiting for you on their horses, then Erwin gave the order to start moving again. You would head back toward the wall, which hadn't been in sight for most of the day. It took several hours to cross the plains, and on the way you didn't see any more titans. Your first expedition as part of the scouts was almost a success. As soon as you reached the wall, all would be well.

What you saw instead when the wall came into view was a gaping hole through which all the titans were going through. It's happening again... you thought. This must be why you didn't see any titans on the way back. They were all busy pouring themselves into Trost.

Your heart sank. If the titans could just do this at any time, why did they wait five whole years to do it again? They could easily just destroy every wall and eradicate humanity with it. Your mind filled with questions that you'd never receive the answer to.

Erwin commanded the formation to become a force of two long horizontal lines aimed right at the wall. "FULL SPEED, SOLDIERS!" He yelled. The wall was still a ways away, so the titans surrounding the gaping hole hadn't noticed the entire scout legion barreling towards them yet.

As you neared the wall, you could hear loud crashes, accompanied by a titan scream. This one was different than the others for some reason. A few moments later, a boulder was smashed into the hole, plugging it indefinitely.

No one slowed down at all, and you were basically on top of the titans at this point.

"We're heading straight for those titans!" Altiena yelled from behind you.

"How are we going to get past them?!" Silva yelled, significantly more collected, but you could still hear the fear lacing her voice.

You searched for Levi in the lineup. He was a couple dozen horsemen away from you, next to Erwin. You couldn't rely on his strength alone to save you if anyone faltered.

"Trust your training!" You yelled back at your squad. "I have a feeling the commander will tell us to scale the wall! If we come up to the Titans fast enough, they won't notice us and we can get past them!"

"Are you sure that will work!?" Mylius yelled.

"Do you have a better plan?" Answered Renko.

"SOLDIERS!" Erwin boomed. "Engage ODM gear! Leave the horses! Scale the wall and rendezvous at the top!" He knew it was a risky plan, but it was the only one he's got.

All around you soldiers started readying themselves to jump off their horses. A barrage of ropes attached themselves to the wall at various heights, and you listened to the chorus of gas being used up. Thankfully everyone should have plenty in store, since not much combat took place out in the field.

Sadly, some of the soldiers had aimed too low. Titans caught them by their legs. One of them had one of your own soldiers... Jeremiah.

You were close enough to save him... if you could just ricochet off the wall fast enough, you could slice the titan's nape and save him. The titan who had grabbed him was tall enough so that if you engaged it, it would be hard for others to reach the two of you.

You locked eyes with Jeremiah. You would not lose any of your men this way. You practically bounced off the wall, flinging yourself toward the base of the titan's neck, nearly missing the grasping arms of nearby titans. You ripped through the titan's neck just as it started to lift Jeremiah to its face. As its grip loosened, Jeremiah freed himself and aimed for the wall as quickly as he could. You were impressed that he regained his composure so quickly, and didn't freeze like other soldiers might have.

"Thank you, squad leader!" He yelled as his gear took him toward the wall, high enough out of harms way by now. You were now the only living person this far down, and you needed to get out of here. You stood on the titan's head, but it was about to fall over.

You shot your ropes at the wall, and jumped off toward it. You had thought that your height was sufficient, but you were gravely mistaken. A lone ten-meter had grabbed you by just your foot, throwing off your momentum and quite literally stranding you in its grasp. You couldn't let yourself panic. All was not lost yet. Your grapples were still fastened on the wall, and the titan only could reach you with its arm fully extended in the air. But it had notified the others of your position in the process. Things were proving to become more difficult.

With a sudden wave of strength and determination, you wiggled your foot out of the titan's grasp, using its hand to push off for momentum. You sped toward the wall, almost smacking into it in the process.

You gasped with relief. Below you were the arms of titans who almost had you for their lunch. Breathing heavily, you scaled the wall, which was now free of other soldiers. They must all be safe at the top by now. As you neared the hedge, you could see the heads of several of your squad members, tears pricking their eyes.

You got to the top and were immediately crashed into with the full force of Mylius's embrace. He sobbed into your shoulder. "Don't do that again, (Y/N)! You aren't allowed to die!" He clung onto you, and you returned the favor. Tears fell from your eyes without you even realizing. You guessed the adrenaline was wearing off.

"Guys... it's not over yet." Said Renko, who was standing next to a grateful Jeremiah.

You didn't have time to walk over to the other side of the wall, because in a few seconds, a small man to your left alerted you of his presence by calling your name frantically. He crashed into you with more force than Mylius, which was incredible considering how much smaller he was than your friend.

Levi held you in a tight embrace, burying his face in your hair. "(Y/N)..." he couldn't find the words to say. He wanted to scold you for being so bold, but he also wanted to be proud of you for being so brave. Most of all, he was just glad you were alive.

"I'm okay." You whispered into his ear. You hugged him tightly. You were aware that your entire squad was watching the two of you now, but you didn't care. This wasn't the time to be shy. Levi didn't care either. But you couldn't waste time- Renko was right, the fight wasn't over yet.

Levi let go of you and looked over Trost, surprised to find the decomposing body of a titan. When you squinted your eyes to see better, you noticed a person emerging from the nape of it. Was that... Eren? And Armin was there too, pulling him away from the mass of steaming flesh. You watched as Mikasa ran from the ground, but two large titans approached them from behind. They had no cover.

You drew your blades and readied yourself to jump off, but Levi held his forearm in the air, signaling for you to hold back. The man propelled off the wall, expertly using his signature spinning move to kill both titans in mere seconds. He landed gracefully and stood on top of the bodies, looking towards the trio you knew. You started to descend the wall as you heard him say, "Pay attention, kiddos. This is the part where you explain to me exactly what it is I'm looking at."

You reached the ground beside the kids. "(Y/N)!" Armin almost squealed. His voice was full of fear.

You looked at Eren, who was barely conscious. "Eren. What is this?" You demanded.

"I...I..." He spoke with a raspy voice. Mikasa placed a worried hand on his shoulder.

"Nevermind," Levi said, "we'll talk details later. Right now you kids need to get to safety. (Y/N)?"

You nodded. You took hold of Eren and carried him up to the top of the wall where the rest of the scout legion was, and Mikasa and Armin trailed behind you. Eren has been completely passed out by the time you reached the top, and you handed him off to some soldiers who escorted him away. His two loyal friends followed. You looked down and Levi was talking to the woman from the garrison who was there; you think her name was Rico.

Erwin appeared behind you. "Job's not done." He said.

You sighed. "Yeah." The hole in the wall had been plugged, but there were still hoards of titans inside. You weren't out of the woods yet. Pretty soon, Rico and Levi reached the top of the wall and made a beeline for Erwin.

"Commander!" Rico saluted. "Titans are still all around the city. We believe the best course of action is to draw the lot of them to the walls armed with cannons. There, we can shoot down most of them. Whatever's left can be picked off by the scouts." She said. "It's likely this will take a full day's worth of cannon fire."

"Very well." Erwin said. "Please inform Commander Pixis." Rico nodded and ran off in the same direction the soldiers took Eren. You looked around the stretch of wall that housed the scout regiment. No one happened to be wounded; anyone who got caught by titans below was surely dead by now. But a swift count of the lot told you that you had only lost a few soldiers.

That was good news, considering the usual repoire of the regiment. All ten of your squad members were alive and well, if a bit shaken up. You were glad to see that Altiena was busy comforting Jeremiah after his incident.

"(Y/N)." The familiar voice said behind you, sounding more tired than usual.

"Yeah?" You said, spinning around to meet the stony gray eyes.

"I'm glad you're okay." He said. "I saw you down there saving one of your soldiers. When you got grabbed... I tried to go down there, but Erwin stopped me." He paused. "Don't keep doing things like that, okay?"

"Levi..." You said softly. "I got out of there just fine, and I couldn't just leave Jeremiah behind. You know that. I know you don't want to lose any more soldiers just as much as I do."

"Yeah, but... to be completely honest, I'd rather have you than him."

You placed a hand on his shoulder firmly. "Both sounds better, doesn't it? I can handle myself, Levi. I think I've proved that."

He sighed. "You have, but I'm still going to worry. It's just how it is."

"I know." You said. You wanted to hug him, but now wasn't really the time. "But this is my duty. This is what I'm here to do, and I want to be here. I want to be by your side, Levi." You hoped comforting words would suffice.

He stared into your eyes as if to say I love you. You smiled at him in response. He accompanied you to address your squad.

You stood in front of them; most of them were sitting down, completely exhausted mentally and physically. "Soldiers." You said. They all scrambled to their feet. "If this goes to plan, we will technically break for one day, then go into the city and work clean-up. We're not done with our jobs yet, so don't act like it, but get some rest. We'll need your full strength tomorrow. You are dismissed."

The soldiers relaxed and most of them had walked off down the wall, heading toward the interior. Mylius and Altiena hung back, and Silva and Renko slumped to the ground back to back.

"You were very brave, (Y/N). Jeremiah told me he could never thank you enough." Altiena said.

"Tch." You said with a grin. "He can thank me by proving himself as a valuable soldier."

"(Y/N), for real, you were awesome out there." Mylius said.

"Don't give her a big head, you two." Levi scoffed. "She's already got the commander's favor, don't you go making her cocky."

"Yeah, ok." You said, reaching to the top of Levi's head to ruffle up his hair. He used to hate when you did that, but now he saw it as an act of extreme affection. "I know you're proud of me, Shorty."

Now, he still did hate that nickname. He seized your wrist and wrenched your arm away from him. "Yeah, whatever, brat." He grumbled. "Don't call me that."

"Yeah, (Y/N). I called him that the other day and I got beat up." Silva sneered.

"That's 'cause Captain plays favorites." Renko said.

Mylius laughed. "You guys say that like you're surprised."

Levi just glared at everyone in silence. You hooked your arm in his. He had shoved his hands in his pockets while your friends were talking, and you could sense his discomfort. You lead him away from the group and headed off to the new rendezvous point.

"Stop embarrassing me in front of your idiot friends." He said, shaking his arm free of your grip.

You smiled. "If you think they're idiots, why do you care what they think of you?"

He grumbled in frustration. "Ugh, cause they're your friends and it's convenient for you if we get along." He said. That was cute. Levi would never admit to you that he did enjoy your friends' antics every now and then. They entertained him, and he liked how much they made you smile. He felt happy seeing you like that. Sometimes he didn't have the energy to make you smile so wide, so he was grateful for your friends. But there's no way he'd ever tell you that.

The two of you walked along the top of the wall in comfortable silence. If everything went as proposed, you'd be back to work in a day. Tomorrow would be filled with cannon fire, and it would be up to the scouts to pick up the pieces. You hoped that job wouldn't be too dangerous. 

You learned of the losses incurred by the garrison from Rico once you had made it back to the interior of wall Rose. You could only hope that Ella and Jun made it out alive, but you wouldn't be able to know until all the dust had settled. And it was almost time. You and the rest of the scout regiment had spent the morning clearing the city of titans, after the full day of constant cannon fire beforehand. You wondered if that's where Ella and Jun could have been.

You helped eradicate most of the titans in the area, but Hanji was determined to capture a couple of them. You were the person she decided to help her with this task, and you can't say no to Hanji. You managed to use a few of your soldiers to lure some small Titans into a corner, where Hanji and her men were able to pin them down and capture them.

Levi probably racked up the highest kill count of anyone, which came as no surprise. Him and his squad probably could have cleaned up the whole city by themselves, the rest of you were just there to make the process faster. Luckily you had not lost any lives on the cleanup mission, but the most traumatizing experience was yet to come.

It was time to survey the grounds, to keep tabs on who perished in the attack. Some bodies were indistinguishable. Some were torn up so much that all you could make out was what regiment they were from, if even that. Some were morphed together in some twisted ball of titan spit.

Most of the soldiers who died were cadets from the 104th. You had spoken to many of them. They all had hopes and dreams, and they would never get to live them out. And now the survivors would have to carry that weight. You watched one of the cadets you recognized, Jean, who was standing in front of a mangled corpse. You walked toward him after a mortician left his presence.

"Jean." You offered the most comforting voice you could to the grieving teen.

He responded without taking his eyes off the body. "Sir."

You couldn't bring yourself to look. "It's not your fault." You said.

"I didn't... I didn't even see him... no one even knows how he died..." Jean seemed to be talking to himself.

"That doesn't make his sacrifice any less valiant. Was he a friend of yours?" You asked.

"It's... it's Marco." He said.

Now, you had to look. You knew Marco, he was respectful, cheery, friendly, strong... all the great attributes of a wonderful soldier. And now there he was, quite literally a shell of himself. His body appeared to be torn in half. He was devoured. He didn't even get the chance for greatness. "I'm sorry, Jean." You said with a broken voice, lifting your arm to his shoulder. He crumbled under your touch, sinking to his knees. He sobbed there on the ground, burying his head in his hands. You decided the best course of action was to leave him alone. His friends would do a better job comforting him than his superior officer, anyway.

You walked a little ways a way down the street when you saw a familiar face. Jun. You ran towards the friend you hadn't seen in a long time.

"Jun!" You yelled as you neared him. As you got closer, you realized the expression on his face was full of dread. You gotten only a few feet away from him before he even brought his eyes to meet yours. Jun looked different, and not in just the way that he had gotten older and his hairstyle slightly changed. He looked jaded. "Jun... what's wrong?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Jun? Are you alright?" Silva said, appearing behind you. Altiena trailed with her. Her cheery mood was nonexistent in this context. She could barely speak any words with all this death surrounding her.

"I'm... okay." Jun whispered.

"I'm glad you're not hurt..." You said. His eyes looked dark and glazed over, like he was unable to be in the moment.

Altiena spoke for the first time in hours. "Where's Ella?"

Jun's breath hitched.

Silva noticed. "Jun... Where is Ella?" She spoke slowly.

He covered his mouth with his hand, likely keeping himself from hurling. That couldn't be good news. He slowly lifted his other arm and pointed behind him to a disgusting ball of titan spit. You dared to take a step in its direction. Altiena ran toward it and fell to her knees. Inside of the abomination you could make out the familiar hair color of the friend you didn't even get to say goodbye to.

She was gone.

Ella, who was the least determined to fight titans out of the whole lot of you, was the only one who fell victim to them. You didn't want to accept it. Her body couldn't even be recovered from the amalgamation. You couldn't even bury her properly.

Images flashed before you through the flames of the funeral in front of you. The surviving cadets surrounded the large fires, equally distraught as you. Ella's body was burning in there, somewhere. At least... parts of her. Same with Marco. Same with every soldier who died in these couple days. They didn't deserve this.... those innocent men and women deserved to see the world free of the things that destroyed them.

It would be up to the survivors to carry on the mantle. Your eyes drifted to Jean standing in front of one of the fires. He was saying something about joining the Survey Corps. You were under the impression that he was set on the Military Police. Marco's death must have really changed something in him.

You returned your eyes to the fire. You still couldn't believe Ella was in there. You let tears fall from your eyes without even thinking about it. Altiena had spent most of her time crouching on the ground, with Mylius hovering over her, trying to offer some sort of comfort. But he was equally devastated. Altiena hadn't made a sound since discovering Ella's body earlier today. She wasn't even crying. It was like she was completely spent.

Eventually, all of the younger soldiers had walked away to retire for the night, if they could even sleep anymore. Silva dragged Altiena away. She tried to be strong but she was broken inside too. Renko and Mylius left as well. You didn't need any of them to say anything for you to understand exactly how they felt.

You sat on the dirt cross-legged until the last fire had burned out. Ella deserved someone to be there for her last moments of existence; you would give her that time now.

You thought that when you joined the scouts you would be prepared to give up your life for the cause. What you hadn't considered was giving up your friends' lives. They weren't yours to sacrifice, but they got caught up in your aspirations. At least, that's what it felt like. She wasn't even in the scout legion; she wanted to be far away from the danger. You wondered why she was even in the military. Was it just to please her friends?

This loss weighed on you heavier than the loss of your mother all those years ago. At least she didn't have any dreams you would have to carry on for her. She had always said you were her only dream. Ella had aspirations that you could never make true for her. She would never get to see the ocean like she wanted. She would never get to ride freely wherever her horse could take her. She would never get to spend the late years of her life quietly reclining in an armchair. She would never experience the peace she so deserved.

But it was like you told Jean; it's not your fault. You need to take your own advice and carry on, for her. It was what she would want... or at least that's what you convinced yourself to think. You were always unsure of what Ella was really thinking. Had you even taken the time to properly get to know her? Had you honored her as she deserved?

The thoughts were about to overtake you when you felt a familiar presence behind you. The man you loved dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms over your shoulders, holding you to him from behind. You reached your hand up to touch his arms, trying to comfort yourself. He placed gentle kisses on your cheeks and neck. These weren't romantic. These were representations of condolences.

In times like these, Levi worked better with actions rather than words. He was glad all of the other soldiers had left the funeral site by now so that he could be openly affectionate toward you. But he still felt sorrow. Your despair was too great for you, so he had to take some of it on. Your sadness bled into him as you sat speechless in front of the ashes.

You stayed like that for hours. Neither of you said a word. You just stared at the fire pits. Ella was really gone. It was time to accept it; she wasn't coming back, and you needed to move on. You felt Levi stirring behind you, and he got to his feet with a groan. He felt stiff after kneeling like that for so long. He came between you and the ashes, lifting a hand in front of you. He wanted you to get up, but you couldn't bring yourself to move. You just wanted to stay here. If you didn't get up, you wouldn't have to go to sleep, and time wouldn't have to pass. 

You wouldn't have to get back to work. You could just stay here and ignore all of it. But... Ella wouldn't want you to do that. You need to carry on with your work. If not to do it for yourself; you need to do it for her.

"(Y/N), please." He begged, his voice almost a whisper.

You didn't budge.

"Please, get up. I need you get up and move forward." He said, his voice stronger and more certain. You studied the hand in front of you, noticing all of the blistered and scarred skin due to heavy ODM gear use. His hands were a testament to his work. You could tell he was humanity's strongest just by observing this part of him. You lifted your own hands to look at them. You had the beginnings of sores starting to develop where you gripped your blades the hardest. "Love, please."

Love. He only called you that in the most intimate of situations. This told you he was desperate for your response. You brought your eyes up. When they met his, they welled with tears. "Is this... what you felt like?" You whimpered.

He closed his eyes and furrowed his brows. "It is."

"I.. I thought I could never understand your pain. I don't know why I thought I would be spared from it. I should have know when I took this position that this would happen." You paused. "But to Ella... she... she wasn't even supposed to be in the line of danger. She should have been safe."

"There's nothing you can do about it now but get up and move on." He said, looking down. His hand still lingered in front of you. You took hold of him slowly, and he pulled you up, using his other arm to receive you. You had been sitting so still for so long that you felt weak. "That's what I did." He said. 

You reached your arms to hang around his shoulders. He rested his hands on your waist. "I'm not as strong as you, Levi." You whispered. "I don't know if I can do it."

He sighed. "It will get easier with time." He started to brush his fingers through your hair. Despite the fact that your hair was quite riddled with knots at this point, it still felt comforting when he did this.

You held on to him like you were clinging to him for life. You couldn't be alone right now. He knew that, too.

He wordlessly pulled you along to the buildings that the scout legion were being housed in for the moment. You were assigned to be sleeping with the rest of your squad, but they'd probably all be asleep by now. You didn't want to disturb them. As if he could read your mind, Levi directed you away from your original destination and toward the room where he was staying. You didn't object. It wasn't really time for a steamy, passionate make-out session right now- no one was in the mood for that. But you were in the mood for a loving embrace as you fell asleep. 

And that's exactly what you got. You couldn't imagine being able to rest if Levi hadn't been with you. You didn't know if you could have even made it back to the barracks if it weren't for him. His words rang through your brain as you drifted into a dream.

You opened your eyes to a black abyss. In the center was a blazing white tree, and there was sand stretching to every horizon. In the distance you could see the figure of a girl. She turned around to face you, and then walked toward you. The familiar striking blue eyes met yours and she stood only a few feet away. 

Ella.

She offered a pained smile. "Hey, (Y/N). Guess it was my time, huh?"

"No!" You cried. "You had so much to live for, Ella, I could have protected you-" She raised her hand in front of your face to signal you to stop. 

"How many times do people need to tell you it's not your fault?" She chuckled a bit. "Look. I know you're upset, but there's nothing you can do. This was bound to happen to me at some point... I know I wasn't the best soldier out there. But, (Y/N), I know you're strong. You can carry on for me. Please, it's all I want." She lifted a hand to wipe your tears away, and to your surprise, you could feel her. "I don't need your tears. I need your strength."

She told you she didn't need your tears, but you couldn't keep them from coming. You grabbed her and pulled her in for one last hug. "I'm so sorry, Ella... I could have saved you... I..." 

"Stop." She said, firmly. "All you need to do is fight, (Y/N). I'll be right there with you, even if you can't see me. Go. Everyone's waiting." And like that, she dissolved in your arms just like the sand you stood upon. Soon, the sand had disappeared too, and everything became black. You drifted into a dreamless sleep.

~

You awoke to the gentle nudges of the captain behind you. "(Y/N), get up, we gotta go." He said, emotionless. He was spent after last night. It took a lot out of him to be so emotionally available for you, but you didn't blame him. You yawned and rolled out of bed, then started lazily dressing yourself.

You were no longer that shy around Levi; it was convenient to not have to go into another room to change. The man was respectful, he always turned away to give you your privacy. After you had dressed, you slumped yourself over his shoulders as he finished buttoning his shirt. "It's not even sunrise yet." You whined.

"Life of a soldier." He said. "You're only tired because you were up so late last night. By the way, you were talking in your sleep." He started putting on the complicated straps of his uniform.

"Really? What was I saying?"

"You kept repeating Ella's name."

"Oh... yeah, I had a dream about her." You said. Levi reached toward you and started adjusting the straps of your uniform. You had a habit of making them too loose, and Levi made it his job to help you out.

"You wanna tell me what it was about?" He said.

You sighed. "I just saw her... and she told me to keep going. She even reached out to me and I could... feel her. I... got to hug her one last time. And then, she was really gone."

"Well, that's one way to say goodbye." Levi said, adjusting your last strap. He moved to your head and started messing with your hair. There was no mirror in the room, so Levi took it upon himself to make sure you looked presentable. Of course, you were beautiful to him in any form, but he knew you could get very particular with these kinds of things. It was his pride and joy to do them for you.

"Yeah. It did... make me feel a little better."

"Good." Levi said. "Because we have got someone to talk to."

You followed Levi down to the basement of the building, but stopped when you got to the last step. "Hold on, what's going on here?"

"Erwin and I are interrogating that titan kid." He said. "Erwin thinks we should let him join the scouts."

You raised a hand to your chin. Eren did say that he was determined to join the scouts. But... what is he? Maybe he isn't really the boy you thought you knew from the training corps. "I'll sit out on this one. I think me being there might just confuse him more, you know? I think you and Erwin should handle this." You said.  
"Fine by me. Do whatever you want." He said, and walked off. You considered hanging around the corner and listening in, but if something happened Levi would tell you. You decided to pay your own soldiers a visit.

You swung open the door to their barracks, revealing that none of them were awake, except Silva. She was laying on the ground opposite Renko, studying his sleeping face. But when you arrived, she swiftly turned her attention to you. She got up and walked toward you, wordlessly enveloping you in a hug.

"We all talked for a while last night." She whispered. "We know Ella would have wanted us to keep moving forward. Altiena and I also tracked down Jun's garrison friends and told them to make sure he was doing okay. So... we'll all move on, for her." She sighed and moved away from you.

"Good." You said. "So everyone else is doing fine?"

"Yeah, we kind of had to start realizing that joining the scouts is basically signing up to die."

"Don't say that, Silva!" You protested.

"But we're okay with it. We know that our sacrifices won't be in vain, as long as someone reaches that ocean. That's what Ella always wanted." She said.

You smiled bittersweetly. "We'll reach that ocean together, Silva."

"You and I both know we can't be that optimistic. But I appreciate the sentiment." She sighed. "I've accepted my fate. I'll work my hardest until the day I can't anymore, and we all agreed the same thing. We are soldiers, (Y/N), it's what the job entails."

"I guess... You're right." You said.

~

One Year Later

~

Ella Schneider,

I know you started keeping a journal where you wrote down notable things that were happening. When I was with everyone, we decided we'd continue writing for you, but we kind of got sidetracked by everything happening around us. It's actually been a year since the battle at Trost.

So much has happened that I can barely remember it all, to be honest. I'd like to say I have good news, but it turns out that it's all bad. I'll start right after you left us. Eren Yeager from the 104th training corps was absolved into the scout legion, and placed in Levi's squad. On the 57th expedition outside the walls, we were all attacked by a new titan- which was the same kind of thing that Eren is. The person controlling this titan was Annie Leonhart, another one of the kids from the 104th.

We managed to fight her in the Stohess district, but not without losing more men. I'm sure you know this, but we lost Renko in that attack. He got crushed by the female titan with no remorse. But I'm sure he's up there with you now, in that place I saw in my dream. It has to be real, right?

Anyway, the story doesn't get better. Mylius and Altiena were sent to watch over some more 104th corps soldiers, but they were attacked by titans that could move at night. They were left out to dry, and they didn't make it out. We couldn't even recover their bodies because the whole place was destroyed by yet another titan shifter, Ymir.

So, at this point it was just Silva and I left. Her fervor was completely gone after knowing all our friends were dead. This journal kind of sucks, but I'll continue anyway, just in case they're not telling you the whole story. Anyway, everything that happened next was kind of a blur. The scouts were criminals at one point, and then we weren't, and then we were sneaking around, fighting some guy named Kenny who turned out to be Levi's uncle, and learning some interesting things about even more 104th corps soldiers. The sweet little blonde girl, Christa, is actually named Historia Reiss, and turns out she's the real queen. The girl took back her throne after she killed her father who had turned himself into a titan with some kind of special serum. I wasn't completely privy to their intentions, but I think her dad wanted her to turn herself into a titan and then eat Eren, and then she would gain the powers he has.

But she took back her throne instead, without killing Eren. For once, we had a slightly hopeful ending to one of our excursions, but the fight wasn't over yet. But I think I got ahead of myself- before all that stuff with the queen happened, we learned that even more soldiers in our midst were titan shifters- Reiner and Bertholdt. Silva and I were really sick of the 104th at this point.

Okay, back to where I am in the story. The next two months after that are kind of a blur- we developed a bunch of new technology, which I helped Hanji with for a while. But to be honest, Silva and I just spent a lot of time trailing along wherever Levi went. My heart was too heavy to really put my all into everything like I said I would. I want to fight for you, Ella, but it's so hard.

We eventually reached Shinganshina, my home. After five years of it being lost, we were finally able to regain it. But it wasn't without casualties. Only ten people out of the whole regiment survived. I lost Silva in the attack, and I got badly injured. I hope she's doing well up there with you.

You remember Armin, right? Well, he was burnt to a crisp and almost killed by the colossal titan, who was Bertholdt. We managed to capture him, and Levi had this serum his crazy uncle gave him that would turn people into titans. He had to make a hard decision of who to give it to, since Erwin was also on the brink of death. He chose Armin, and now that kid's the colossal titan, and Erwin is gone.

Hanji's the commander of the scouts now. I try to help her out as much as I can. Her usual cheery demeanor is a little bit dampened by all her newfound stress. We've spent this last year learning about the titans and eradicating them from the island. Yes, the island. There's a lot we learned from Eren's dad's basement.   
Apparently, there's a whole other world out there that's been operating just fine without titans ravaging them. And, it turns out that we're a special race of people that can transform into titans. That's really fun, isn't it? Sorry for kind of rushing through all this. It's hard for me to think about... I barely understand it all.

Right now I'm sitting in Levi's office. I can tell he's tired. So am I. But soon, we're going out to see the ocean. I'm doing it for you, Ella. And everyone else. You, Alteina, Mylius, and Silva... I miss you guys. I won't be able to help myself from imagining each of your reactions when I finally see that ocean.

But I'm doing it for all of you. I love you guys so much, and I miss you. You better all be having fun up there... wherever you are.

I want to be with you guys so bad, but I decided I need to stay here for a while. Complications with our nation and the military aside, I need to stay here for Levi. I love him. But you all knew that already. I'm sure you'll understand why I need to stay.

I'll see you again someday,  
(Y/N)

~

"We're leaving in about five minutes, (Y/N)." Levi's soft voice sounded behind you. "How are you feeling?" He rested his arms on your shoulders as you closed the journal. Levi had gotten a lot more touchy recently. Your injuries from Shinganshina were completely healed by now, but he was still so gentle with you.

You felt like you were floating. It still took you some effort to remember that all of your friends are actually gone. You had thought that reaching the ocean would mean the fight was over, but after learning the truth about the titans, the fight had just barely begun. Levi rubbed his hands gently on your arms, bringing you back to reality.

"(Y/N), your head's always in the clouds. Come back to me, okay? You know what today is, right?" He said, obviously referring to your journey to the ocean.

"Yeah, I know." You said, your voice raspy. You had woken up early just to write in Ella's journal, and you hadn't opened your mouth to speak to anyone yet today. You got up and stood in front of Levi, searching his eyes. "Today we're changing our fate. No one's seen the ocean in over a hundred years, so I shouldn't let my selfish sadness hold us back. Let's go."

Your convictions rang true. You really didn't want to be a burden to everyone- besides, every one of the survivors felt the loss as heavily as you did. You and Levi walked to the stables, where everyone else was waiting.

"(Y/N)!!! Are you excited??" Yelled Hanji, who thankfully had some inkling of her personality left. It brought out the best in you.

"You bet I am!" You pumped your fist in the air.

"Yeah!" Armin said, mirroring your actions. You knew that he was the one most excited to reach the ocean- he always talked about it.

The trek to the edge of the island was silent and peaceful. It was strange riding through the countryside without fear of a titan attack. It felt like second nature to be prepared, but deep down you didn't know you had to. Levi was feeling a similar sensation. One year ago, he couldn't have imagined he'd be seeing the ocean so soon.

You reached one last wall- the only thing separating you from the ocean. You rounded it, and there it was.

The gorgeous blues and whites contrasted against the yellow sand made your eyes well up with tears. It was so beautiful. But what was even more beautiful was the man admiring it next to you. His hair blew from the ocean winds, and he looked like his breath had been taken away. If you didn't have the knowledge from Eren's basement, this moment would have felt freeing. But with the context, it made you feel trapped. But you tried to ignore that for now. 

You watched the kids play around in the water. Jean, Connie, and Sasha had gone back to their childlike wonder, and Armin admired a seashell in the sand. Hanji ran into the salty water with no hesitation, and Levi chastised her for being reckless. You stood next to him, then took of your boots to feel the sand in between your toes. 

"Wow... this feels nice." You said. 

"Tch." Levi scoffed. "Now you're gonna have sand in your shoes. Disgusting."

You giggled. "You know, sometimes getting a little dirty doesn't hurt." You grasped his hand and his breath hitched. "Come on!" 

"H-hey!" He protested, holding you back. "If you're going to drag me into the water, at least let me prepare myself first." Then, he performed the very thing he just scoffed at you for doing, and he carefully rolled up his pants to just below his knees. 

You smirked. "All right, you ready, gramps? Do you need a sun umbrella too?"

"It wouldn't hurt." He mumbled.

You pulled him forward, but he stopped once you were about an inch into the waves. He stared down at his feet, watching each wave stretch farther and farther up the sand. As a derelict kid living in the underground, he could have never imagined this being possible. And that was before he even knew how hard it was to defeat the titans. He never thought he would see this day during his lifetime, but just one year after the battle of Trost, he was standing in the oh-so-far-off ocean. If only Erwin could see him now.

Almost every soldier that fell died believing that this was the end goal- this was the thing they were fighting to gain. It hurt to know that that was not the case at all. But in a way, he was glad they died ignorant. They died thinking there was something to fight for, but now things are so muddled. It's not really clear anymore.

But Levi knew what he was fighting for. He looked forward at you, who was still holding his hand. Your eyes shone in the sunlight. When he gazed at you, he was reminded that he wanted nothing more than to open that peaceful tea shop with you someday, settle down, and maybe even start a family together. 

As you pulled him into the water and he felt the waves lapping at his shins, his desire for that dream grew even stronger. He felt like he was at home whenever he was with you. The waves washed away his earlier disdain for the dirtiness of the sand and salt, and he took a deep breath, just wanting to enjoy the sensation. You let go of him and started running your arms through the water, not worrying about getting your clothes wet or anything. He watched your expression grow to pure joy. At the beginning of today, you were about to break down in tears. But by sunset, you looked happier than ever. He wanted to be able to keep you feeling this way for a long time... ideally forever.

He was woken up from his trance by you splashing some water at him. You managed to dampen a large section of his shirt. His eyes narrowed and he slowly looked down at his chest to examine the incursion. 

"You're gonna get it now, squad leader." He said, an evil smirk starting to spread across his face. 

You felt the blood drain from your face. You wanted to mess with Levi, but when he got like this, it was pretty scary. There was no getting out of this. "C-come at me, Captain." You said, trying to sound intimidating. 

He crouched down and reached his arms into the water, before thrusting them up and splashing water all over you. You were drenched. Your hair fell into your eyes and you spit out the saltwater that had reached your mouth, complaining about the unbearable saltiness. 

Levi put his hands on his hips and admired his work, before Hanji yelled from beside the two of you. "Woah, Levi! Playing rough, huh?" He gave her the side-eye.  
You started preparing your counterattack, but before you could retaliate, Levi was practically on top of you, holding your arms back. His face was just a few centimeters away from yours. The awareness of everyone around you fell away, and you were caught in this moment. His eyes flicked down to your lips, which were still damp with ocean water.

His stony gray eyes filled with passion. "I want... to taste that salt too."

Before you could respond, his lips were on yours, aggressively asserting his dominance over you. It was rare for him to be so forceful right away, and completely unheard of for him to do in front of other people. Still, you melted into the kiss. It felt like nothing else mattered in the world but this. You could forget Eren's basement, forget the country of Marley, and forget the fact that you have to journey back to HQ on horseback after this is all over.

Finally he pulled away. He smacked his lips together, tasting the salty water. "Gross." He said, and then he brought some of his shirt fabric up to wipe his mouth. "Wipe that blush off your face, squad leader, we're on duty here." He said, acting like nothing happened. 

Hanji burst into laughter beside you, and a few of the cadets nervously chuckled as well.

You smiled and threw your arms around his waist. His face distorted into annoyance because you were soaking wet, but he didn't push you off of him. Hanji came over and slung her arms around the both of you, and then a few of the others joined into the group hug as well. Levi was so small that he was barely visible in the middle of the ordeal. He retained his look of annoyance, but he secretly loved this. It was nice to get some recognition sometimes after carrying the whole of the scout legion on his shoulders. Now he was carrying literal soldiers on his shoulders, because they hung all over him. 

"Quit it, you brats." He said, but his tone wasn't very convincing. 

You gave him a quick peck on the cheek, which earned you an "Awww..." from Sasha, Connie, Jean, and Armin. This caused a slight blush to run across Levi's cheeks. 

"Hey, Captain, no blushing on the job." Mikasa smirked. 

"Shut up." He said. 

You were the only one who could have seen it, but Levi smiled sweetly as he watched the sun set over the water.

~


	12. Chapter 12

"Oi, brat." Said Levi, marching up to you and Commander Hanji. "Come on, I don't have all day."

This was pretty typical of him. He would approach you, claiming you had something planned, but you never actually knew what was going on. Usually he'd bring you somewhere for a romantic evening. "Oi, brat. Come on, I don't have all day." was his way of asking you out on a date.

And you happily obliged, after getting a wink from Hanji. "Alright, overlord, where too?" You locked your fingers with his. He didn't answer the question, but you weren't really expecting him to.

It had been about two years since you had seen the ocean for the first time. So many advances were made in that amount of time- you were able to contact soldiers from Marley and take them as prisoners, and some of them even wanted to help the island. Most of the remaining 104th gang were busy building a railroad by hand, which was advised by the Anti-Marleyan soldiers. You, Levi, and Hanji had gone to visit them in the morning.

Levi pulled you into a carriage and ordered the driver somewhere, and the town name sounded kind of familiar for some reason. You spent most of the hour-long ride looking out the window, admiring the landscape where titans once roamed. Most of your time with Levi turned out to be sitting in comfortable silence, but for some reason things felt a little tense. You couldn't figure out why.

You sighed. "So, the cadets seemed to be in high spirits today." You said. 

"Yeah." Levi mumbled. 

You smiled. "They all look so grown up now... I'm pretty sure all of them have passed both of us in height at this point, even Connie. He used to be tiny! And they're still just teenagers, they're probably not even done growing!"

Levi just grumbled.

"But I think we both know size doesn't matter, humanity's strongest." You grinned, trying to egg some kind of reaction out of him other than just a grunt.

"Uh-huh." He said, his tone just as bored as always.

You frowned. Levi wasn't always especially talkative, but something seemed off with him. He kept fidgeting with his fingers and shoving his hands in his pockets nervously. But you decided to not press him about it. If he wanted to tell you something, he would.

The carriage stopped in a town that looked way too familiar to be new. Luckily, the memory came rushing back when Levi pulled you around a corner, and you were met with a wooden sign that read simply "Tea."

"Oh, I remember this place! It was so cute!" You said. Levi shuffled around in his pocket, and you approached the door of the building. Instead of just walking in, He shoved a key in the keyhole, and unlocked it before opening the door. "Wha... huh?" You questioned.

He opened the door to reveal the place looking identical, except for the fact that it was completely empty, the shades were closed, and it looked like no one had been using it for a while.

"It went out of business a couple months ago." Levi said. "Military pay's pretty good, and I really haven't had to use much of it before, so..." He paused. "With a little convincing from Hanji, I bought it."

You were speechless.

"I even came and talked to the previous owners for a while. I said I could pay for them to keep running it but they told me they should've retired years ago anyways."

You smiled. "So this is where you keep disappearing to..."

"Yeah..." He raised his hand to itch at the back of his neck. "The best part is, they left all their recipes to me. So we can recreate those blueberry scones."

"Bless that old couple!" You said, flinging your arms around Levi. You gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. "Remember when we came here and the woman thought we were married?"

You could feel Levi tense up as a hint of red started to show on his face. "Yeah..."

"That was pretty funny, huh?" You said, letting go of him. You walked around the small tea shop, noticing the dust that had gathered. Levi would have a ball cleaning this place up.

"Yeah, funny..." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets. He grumbled something to himself before clearing his throat. "Listen, I have to ask you something." He said.

You spun around to meet his gaze. He looked extremely nervous. He kept shuffling his hands around in his pockets.

"Okay... what is it?" You said innocently.

He took his hand out of his pocket and quickly brought it behind his back. You couldn't see what he had taken out. "It took me a long time to figure out how to say this, (Y/N), but I'm gonna do it now." You stared at him expectantly. He clearly had something he wanted to say, but you were still in the dark.

He took a deep breath. "(Y/N), you are the most wonderful person I've ever met. Even though you call me short and that gets on my nerves, I still forgive you every time, even if you're not sorry at all. Seriously, it gets really annoying sometimes. You're lucky I don't bash your face in every time. Where was I going with this?"

You giggled. 

"Right. Anyway, you've made me into the man I am today, and I honestly don't know if I could have gotten through everything if I didn't have you. I... can't imagine a future where I'm not with you. I love you, (Y/N)." He shuffled his feet a bit on the floor nervously. 

"I love you too, Levi. I feel the same way. I don't want to see the rest of my life without you in it." You looked at his nervous face. His eyes were darting in any direction but into yours. 

He bit his lip. "Look, I know I'm not the best boyfriend or anything, so I'd understand if you didn't even want all this. I'm kind of springing a lot on you at one time, and I don't want to push you away. So if you say no, I get it. I just really want to-"

"Levi." You brought your hand to his cheek. "You haven't even asked me anything yet."

He grumbled curses under his breath. "Sorry..." He mumbled. Then, suddenly he dropped to one knee on the floor in front of you. 

Finally you could see where this was going. You felt like an idiot for not realizing sooner. He brought his hands in front of him, revealing a small box covered in velvet. He fumbled with it and opened it towards him, not letting you see what was inside. It was like he was checking to see if whatever was in there was still actually there. He gathered up the courage to bring his eyes to meet yours, and then he opened his mouth to speak. 

"So, what I'm asking is... Will you marry me, (Y/N)?" He said, his voice as clear as day. As he spoke the heavenly words, he gently opened the box to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring. It was simple and dainty- you noticed it was even designed so that it wouldn't get in the way during combat. The bright silver band contrasted beautifully against the black velvet that enveloped it in the box. This was the perfect ring for you. Of course, you would have taken literally anything presented to you by Levi, simply because it's from him. But just looking at this ring told you that he had put a lot of thought into picking it out. 

But you couldn't spend too long just admiring the ring- the man in front of you was patiently anticipating your answer. 

"Of course I will, Levi!" You smiled wider than ever, tears welling up in your eyes. The look on Levi's face was absolutely priceless. You were sure that the smile he donned could have stopped every war, ended world hunger, and brought people back from the dead. You held each side of his face in your hands and pressed your lips into his, feeling his wide grin in the midst of the kiss. Then, you held out your left hand for him as he slipped the ring onto your finger. 

"It's a perfect fit..." You said, astonished. Then you remembered something from a few months ago. Hanji had "found" a bunch of "old" rings and insisted that you try them on for her. That must have been how they figured out what size to get you. He started to stand up, still holding your hand in his. "This is so beautiful Levi, but how- and the money..."

"I said the military pays well, didn't I? And...Hanji felt so compelled by this so she forced some of her own funds on me. She told me it was an order, so I couldn't just say no. And, the old couple directed me to a little shop in this very town." He paused. "...Since they thought we were already married, I told them we had lost the ring and needed a new one."

You giggled, letting a blush spread across your cheeks. "Well, I guess we won't have to lie to those two anymore!"

"Finally, we can fulfill this dream... Now that we've got the tea shop, all that was left to do was to get married." Levi said, but his smile faded. "Well, at least, that was the plan before..."

"Before the basement." You said, the air becoming thick with solemnity. "But, hey. It's not like we need to dedicate every waking moment to one thing or another. We can come here and run the tea shop whenever we want. It'll be like a cool, exclusive club that's only open on crazy hours. This can be our escape from everything. I'm sure Hanji would have no problem with that, especially considering she encouraged this." 

Levi scoffed. "Yeah, I guess." His faint smile finally returned. "Honestly, as long as I'm with you, I don't care what I'm doing."

"Me too." You pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. But Levi was interested in more. He pushed you until your back pressed against the counter, and he rested his hands on either side of it, essentially pinning you down. He looked at you with hungry eyes, like an animal on the hunt. But soon his eyes were closed, and his lips were on yours. 

He kissed you with fervor, deliberately channelling all of his emotions into his movements. The man worked better with actions, anyway. The words were a formality; this was the real proposal. His aggressive kisses were a substitute to saying, "Do you want this for the rest of your life?" And the way you kissed him back told him you wouldn't have anything else.

Levi's hands soon left the counter, wanting to feel you as you deepened the kiss. His hands roamed around your waist, grazed your back, and tickled your neck. You shuddered under his gentle, yet ravenous touch. You slung your arms around his shoulders, reaching your fingers to tangle in his raven-black hair. Despite the fact that it always messed up his hair, he loved it when you did that to him.

Eventually, he pulled away, but your noses still touched, and your bodies were still pressed together against the counter. 

He looked at you and grinned. "That's just a taste of what's to come." He almost growled with a deep, raspy voice.

You felt your whole face turn beet red. "O-oh yeah?" You said, your voice coming out a bit higher-pitched than you had planned.

He rested his hand on your cheek softly. “Yeah."

~

One Year Later

~

You burst out of the kitchen, holding a tray full of teacups. The place was far from bustling, but you did have some happy customers to appease. You smoothly set the tray down on the table and each person took a cup.

"Thanks, (Y/N)!" Armin beamed. Eren, Mikasa, Jean, Connie, and Sasha all nodded in agreement.

"No problem, guys! How's life treating you today?" You rested your hands on your hips.

"Great, we got a nice workout in." Mikasa said. 

Sasha groaned. "Terrible, we had to work out all day!" The rest of the table laughed. 

"Oh, Sasha, I have something here that's going to blow your mind." You said to her. 

Her eyes widened. "Really??"

You smiled. "Yeah, I'll go get it."

"(Y/N)!" Yelled a firm voice from the back. "I better not see you giving away free things!"

You yelled back at the voice. "Come on, they're our friends!"

Levi poked his head out of the curtain that concealed the kitchen. "I don't care. Now get your butt back here."

"Look at that," Jean sighed. "Only married two months and you're already bickering like an old couple."

You scoffed. "Oh, stop it. We've always been like this."

"That is true." Eren said. "I think it's in the captain's nature to argue-"

"(Y/N)!" The voice yelled, more impatient this time. 

"I'm coming!" You yelled. "Jeez.." You said under your breath so only the cadets could hear. You walked back over to the kitchen and slid through the curtain to reveal a frantic Levi trying to take the scones out of the oven while making sure his tea was brewing just right. It was a funny sight to see him so overwhelmed, but you didn't want to subject him to it for too long. You grabbed the closest oven mitt and pushed him away from the oven, then you carefully took out the scones. He was freaking out over nothing- they were perfectly baked. 

"Are you having fun gossiping about me out there?" He said, lifting his finger to your chin.

"Yeah, I am." You smiled. He brought his lips to yours, only kissing you for a few seconds before stopping himself and pulling away.

"Later. We have guests."

"Alright, overlord. Your call." You smiled. 

He couldn't resist you when you called him that, even if it was just joking. He grabbed you by your waist and kissed you hungrily. "You're mine, empress." He purred. 

He finally let you go, realizing this was not the time or place for this right now. "Now, give those brats some scones."

So you did just that. Sasha inhaled the thing so quickly you thought there was no way she could have even tasted it, but she erupted into tears as soon as she swallowed. You were glad the others had taken their own quickly, because she proceeded to consume whatever was left on the tray. You laughed. 

If this was what was in store for you after all this Marley-Paradis-Hizuru stuff is over, then you could fight through anything to make sure you got to have it. You and Levi deserved this. Your late friends deserve it, too. You felt peaceful, knowing they were all watching you from that strange realm you saw once in your dreams. Someday, you'd get to join them. But you didn't want that to happen for a long time yet.

With Levi by your side, you could overcome any hurdle that comes your way. And he felt the exact same.

The End

~


	13. Bonus: Character Bios

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short Bios of some of the main original characters in this story! Stay tuned for a couple of short stories and an epilogue once the Attack on Titan manga is finished!

Mylius Thatcher  
Mylius is a young man with curly, brown hair, brown eyes, and tan freckled skin. He enjoys quality time with his friends and rarely likes to be alone. His favorite hobby is cooking. Mylius once swore to (Y/N) that he would open up his own restaurant after the two of them were able to destroy all the titans. His favorite color is green, and his favorite subject in school was language arts. Altiena and him actually have the same birthday: June 24.

Silva Becker  
Silva is a spunky girl with black hair cut in a scraggly short bob, and her dark brown eyes seem almost black. She doesn't care much about her appearance but still manages to look cool. She always stays calm in stressful situations, and enjoys tormenting her friends into states of embarrassment. If she were to live a life besides that of a soldier, she would want to paint portraits for a living. Her favorite color is dark red, and her favorite subject in school was skipping class.

Altiena Rose  
Altiena's kind personality is matched by her outward appearance. She sports medium-length blonde, fluffy hair, and she has striking green eyes. She always gives people a second chance, but will not hesitate to take someone down if things get dirty. She may look innocent, but she packs a punch behind her cute exterior. If she was not a soldier she would dream to be a housewife with a lot of cute children running around. Her favorite color is light blue, and her favorite subject in school was art.

Ella Schneider  
Ella sports long, light brown hair, styled in two loose pigtails on either side of her head. She has blue eyes. Ella is a skeptical girl who takes a while to warm up to people, and she may come off as rude to some, but she's really just shy. Ella is extremely grateful for her friends because they understand her. Her dream job would be being a teacher. She couldn't pick a favorite subject in school, and her favorite color is purple.

Renko Taylor  
Renko has spiky brown hair and dark brown eyes, similar to Silva. His favorite pastime is sledding when it's snowing outside, and he dreams of one day being able to go past the walls. He never thought of any occupation besides being in the military. His favorite color is red, and his favorite subject in school was social sciences.

Jun Sole  
Jun sports black hair styled in a bowl cut, and dark blue eyes. Many would identify him as an oaf, which might be an actually accurate descriptor. Jun has never been the top of his class at anything; but he's just happy to be able to spend time with his friends. If Jun were not in the military he would want to be a baker. Mylius and him had even talked about combining their hypothetical business ideas. His favorite color is yellow, and his favorite subject in school was math, despite the fact that he failed at it repeatedly.


	14. Short Story: The Girl

This story takes place when you and Mylius are ten years old.

You stepped out of the school, ignoring the weird stares from your classmates. They didn't ever understand you. But that didn't matter- one person did, and that was Mylius Thatcher, your best friend. He soon fell into step by your side and and you proudly wore a wide grin on your face. 

"Enjoy your weekend, children!" The schoolteacher yelled as you walked away. You doubted most of the kids even heard her message. It didn't matter; the kids would have good weekends regardless of her well wishes.

"All right, so what do you want to do today?" Mylius asked. 

"We could go to that big hill we found last week! Remember that one with the tree on the top?" You said. 

"Yeah! But we should go get my wagon. Then we can ride down it!"

Your eyes shone with excitement. "That's a great idea!" The two of you raced back to Mylius's house, uttering quick 'hello's to his mother, then grabbed the wooden wagon and headed out back into the town. 

"Can I ride in the wagon?" You asked Mylius.

He sighed. "Fiiiiine... but only because you're my best friend." 

"Woo!" You pumped your fist in the air, then climbed into the wagon after he stopped for you to get in. "Let's go!"

"Forward!" Mylius exclaimed, pointing forward with his free arm. He pulled you all the way to the back gate, then through. He pulled you along the beaten path until you reached the hill with the tree on top.

"All right, now get out. You're too heavy for me to pull you all the way up there through the grass." He said.

"Awww.." You whined as you left the wagon. You took the rope from him and started to walk up the hill. But when you got to the top, you saw something unexpected. 

At the foot of the tree that stands on the hill, there was a child. She looked to be about the same age as you. Her clothes were tattered and she looked especially dirty. You approached her, expecting some sort of response, but she didn't move. Upon closer inspection, you could tell from her closed eyes and regulated breathing that she was fast asleep, leant up against the tree. 

You looked back at Mylius, who looked just as clueless as you. You got inches away from the girl, then reached out your arm to touch her shoulder. But before you could make contact, her eyes shot open and she jolted away before you could touch her. She covered her shoulder with her hand and looked at you with wide brown eyes, frightened. 

"Hello," Mylius said, crouching behind you, "What's your name?"

The girl just blinked at the two of you. You have less patience than Mylius. "Hey, he asked you a question. My name's (Y/N). What's yours?" She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"And I'm Mylius."

She swallowed, then spoke. "Jillian."

"Hi, Jillian." Mylius said with a soft tone. 

"Why are you all dirty, Jillian?" You said, ignoring social graces. Mylius elbowed you in your side. Clearly your actions were a bit rude. 

Jillian looked down at her filthy garments and dirt-covered skin. "I... ran away."

"Ran away? From where?" You questioned. 

She stared into your eyes, but it felt like she was looking past them. "Down... down there." She pointed her finger at the ground.

"Under...ground?" Mylius said. "People live underground?"

"Thousands..." She said. "Thousands of people live under Wall Sina... They all die down there... I didn't want to be next..." 

"Slow down," You said. "Start at the beginning."

The girl took a deep breath. She had already said so much, there was no point in holding back now. "I lived in the Underground. I was taken by some men, and brought to the surface, but I escaped from them. Now I'm up here. I thought life would be better up here, but I have no where to go."

"You can come with us!" You said. You let yourself get so worked up that the rope for the wagon had slipped out of your hand, and the wagon went tumbling down the hill. Mylius started to run after it, and you followed suit. Neither one of you could have reached it before it was far away, to where you couldn't see the top of the hill anymore from most angles. 

You trudged back up the hill with the rope tightly in your hand. As you neared the top you could see the familiar tree branches, but when you looked down to the base of the tree, Jillian was no where to be found.

Mylius circled the trunk, thinking she could be hiding, but there was nothing. There was nothing but a piece of torn cloth that was most certainly from her tattered shirt. 

He picked up the piece. "She's gone..." He stated the obvious. You whipped your heads around, trying to find where she had gone. There were a few carriages on the road near the hill, but that's the only sign of human life you could see. She really was just completely gone. Perhaps, if you weren't just children, you could have saved her. 

Suddenly you didn't feel like having a fun day riding the wagon down the hill anymore. You and Mylius just plopped yourselves down at the base of the tree, letting your exhausted minds lull you to sleep. 

~


	15. Short Story: Risks

This story takes place while Levi is living with Isabel and Furlan in the Underground.

Levi carefully wiped the shelves of the small apartment, making sure he got every bit of dust on his rag. He simply could not stand it if his living space was dirty.

"Bro..." Said a whiny voice behind him. "Can I be done sweeping now? I'm tired."

Levi turned around to witness Isabel, with messy pigtails and holding a broom. Her dust mask was pulled down around her chin. Levi descended from the step-stool he was standing on and stood in front of her, then he reached around her face and lifted the dust mask back above her nose. 

"No. It's still dirty." He said, with a cold tone.

Isabel groaned. A small chuckle came from the kitchen, where Furlan was doing the dishes. "You gotta do a good job the first time around, Isabel, or it'll take longer."

"See? Furlan understands." Levi said. He gave Isabel a pat on the head and turned around to resume dusting, as she slumped her shoulders and started sweeping again. "And do a good job, this time." He added.

Suddenly there was a soft knock at the door. All three of them whipped their heads around, locking themselves in intense eye contact with one another. Furlan and Isabel moved to where whoever was outside the door would not see them, and Levi walked toward it, keeping a hand holding a knife behind his back. 

He opened the door a sliver. "What do you want?" He grumbled. 

"Uh... hi..." Whimpered a high-pitched voice. Levi opened the door wider, allowing the visitor to see him. He still kept a tight grip on the knife behind his back. He could hear Furlan and Isabel's whispers behind him.

The girl outside the door was short, apparently shy, and quite attractive. She wrung her fingers together and kept her eyes glued on Levi's feet, unable to look up at him. She was shorter than him, after all. She spoke again. "You're Levi, right? I, uh, I see you around sometimes, and I think you're really handsome. I... wanted to know if you would go out on a date with me."

How forward, he thought. But it didn't matter. "No." He said, his tone cold as ice.

"W-wait," She stuttered, finally bringing her eyes to meet his. However, his glare was so intense that she had to immediately look away again. "I just want to get to know you... I swear you'll have fun, I'll even pay-"

"Who put you up to this?" Levi demanded. He leaned out of the doorway, looking around the girl to see if any rival gang members were waiting around the corner to kill him. 

She was flustered by the sudden close contact, but Levi didn't seem to care. "N-no one..." She stuttered. "I just wanted to take you out... honest..."

"I'm not interested." Levi said.

The girl's eyes became slightly shiny. She would surely start to tear up. Levi did not want to deal with that, so he started shutting the door. "Please." She said, bringing her eyes to meet his once again. Her voice was filled with a bit more confidence. "Just one date."

Levi stood there, considering the options. Free food wasn't really such a bad idea. He wouldn't have to clean up from the meal, either. There really was no downside to this. 

He folded his arms. "Ok, sure." He said. "I don't even know your name, though, idiot." 

The girl's face broke into a sweet smile. "It's Olivia! Are you free tonight? I'll come back around here in a few hours!" It was as if she were never about to cry just a few seconds ago.

Levi just nodded.

"Great! I will see you then!" Then, Olivia swiftly scampered away, filled with excitement. And she should be proud of herself- anyone who gets a word in with Levi without getting beat up is pretty much a champion. Levi shut the door slowly and turned around, only to be met by the loudest laughter he'd ever heard from his friends. His face flushed red out of embarrassment. 

"Shut up, brats." He said.  
"You did it, bro!" Isabel cheered. "You're goin' on a date!"

Furlan smiled. "Look who's moving up in the world, eh? Free food?"

"That's the only reason I agreed." Levi said, scowling. "Anyway, you idiots aren't done cleaning." He clapped his hands together. "Back to work!”

~

Just as he expected, Olivia returned a few hours later, dressed in a simple pink dress and a little flower in her hair. He had to admit she was quite attractive, but he still was only in this for the free meal.

On their walk to the restaurant she had picked out, she tried taking up a conversation with him. However, Levi was still wary that she was sent by a rival gang, so he was a bit distracted. When they sat down at the restaurant, he scanned each face around them, making sure none of them were his enemies. Once he had done that, he was able to relax. It turns out she really was just genuinely asking him out on a date.

Levi talked about his friends, careful not to mention too much about their job. It was uncouth to talk about such matters at the dinner table, anyway. And it would take a lot more time for him to divulge this kind of information to any random girl.

When their food arrived, almost all conversation stopped. The steak that Levi had ordered, though no where near the top-of-the-line beef that they get up above ground, was still the best meal he'd ever had. He thanked the walls this girl offered to pay, because this kind of excursion would surely destroy his wallet.

Olivia stole a glance at him every once in a while as they ate. He paid no attention to her. She thought that maybe once they spent a little time together, he would warm up and maybe start to actually enjoy her presence, but now that seemed unlikely. Still, she persevered.

"Do you have any hobbies?" She asked once she noticed he'd finished his last bite.

"Not really." He said.

"Really? Nothing you do for fun?"

Levi thought. Usually he just watched Isabel and Furlan mess around with each other. And in the free time they do have, he cleans. He wouldn't really consider that a hobby, though. But he did remember something. "I enjoy illustration, but I haven't done that in a while." Levi chose to forgo saying why. He doesn't draw much because they don't have access to any materials, really. He didn't want this girl's pity.

"Wow, really? What do you like to draw?" She smiled. Levi wasn't used to all this attention. Usually people didn't ask him so many innocent questions. Once again, he took a look around the restaurant to make sure this wasn't suspicious. 

He looked down at the table. "Mostly people. Faces, and such."

"That's awesome!" She smiled widely at him, happy that there was some kind of conversation going on. "I'd love to see something of yours sometime!"

"Sure." He mumbled.

The rest of the night went smoothly. The girl was nice, she respected the obvious fact that Levi was not too fond of physical touch- so she never tried anything on him. But it still didn't change the fact that Levi wasn't really interested in her, and she seemed to take notice of this. 

He walked with her to her own apartment, and stopped outside her door. "Thank you for paying for everything, and all." He muttered.

"No problem, Levi. I hope we can hang out again sometime!" She hesitated. "I.. uh... I know you don't really seem romantically interested. That's fine, I'd be happy just being friends with you. You seem like a really interesting guy! Maybe next time... I can meet your friends, too?"

"Sure, Olivia." He said. He was being genuine- he did enjoy the night, and he was glad she understood his true intentions, so that he wouldn't actually have to say. Though he's hesitant to let more people into his life, he supposed adding one more person on couldn't hurt. "See you around." He said, and she went inside, closing the door behind her.

~

Levi hadn't heard from Olivia in over a week. He almost immediately regretted letting her into his life, because he couldn't protect her. Who knows who could have seen him with her that night, and what could have happened to her after he left. He kicked himself for getting close with another person. It was different with Isabel and Furlan since they all lived together. But Olivia didn't, and by what he could tell, she lived alone. 

How could I be so stupid? He thought. "Isabel, Furlan, I'm going out." He said, grabbing his coat.

"Is this about Olivia? You know, you can't keep everything secret." Furlan said. 

"Yeah, bro, let us come with you!" Isabel insisted. 

Levi would normally argue, but he didn't have the time. "Fine." He said, and they all rushed out the door, following Levi to Olivia's place. 

Levi knocked on the door furiously. No answer. He assumed she could be out, but there was no way to know. He knocked again. "Olivia!" He called. There was still no response. Tired of being patient, he kicked the door open, revealing an empty room. He felt a bit bad for breaking and entering, but it was nothing he wasn't used to. Furlan and Isabel came inside too, and started scanning around the room. Levi approached a small door, which he assumed to be a closet. He curled his fingers around the doorknob and slowly opened it. He couldn't prepare himself for the haunting image before him.

Olivia's face was covered in blood, her skin was pale, and her eyes... they were still open. Her body lay lifeless over the heaps of clothing that were shoved in the closet. It took all of Levi's willpower to reach down and close her eyelids. At least he could give her that peace.

Isabel and Furlan stood silent behind Levi. None of them said anything for what felt like forever. Eventually, Levi stood up again and closed the closet door. He couldn't do anything with the body- there's no where to bury people, and if he tried moving it he'd be accused of the crime. Instead, the three of them left the apartment, putting the door back in place, and walked away. 

They were still silent for a long time. Furlan started up the teapot when they got back- Levi would certainly need some tea. Isabel's usual bubbly behavior was completely gone- she was crazy, but she knew when to be serious.

Levi decided that night that it wasn't a good idea to fraternize with anyone other than his two existing friends. It was too dangerous to befriend others, and it was too expensive to take anyone else into their apartment. Levi would just have to be satisfied with his two friends. He didn't have a problem with that.

Though the guilt would be eating him up for a while, he eventually moved on. Things like this happen in the Underground- he needs to be prepared for that. The Underground is an unforgiving place. He could only hope to leave it one day. Maybe things would be better up there. 

Who knows.

~


	16. Short Story: Surprise

"Alright, we're here!" said Mylius as he opened the door to the kitchen.

"We got the stuff!" Altiena cheered from behind him. She was carrying a large paper bag which you could only assume held the ingredients you had requested.

As she laid it on the counter and started emptying the contents, another head poked through the door. "Hey... are you guys partying in here without us?" Silva sneered, then she came through the door, Renko trailing behind her. "What's goin' on?"

You frowned. "Hey, if we're all in here, someone's going to get suspicious!"

Renko raised his eyebrows. "Suspicious about what?"

"About your surprise?" Silva said, leaning toward the door.

"Shhhh!" Altiena sprang forward and covered Silva's mouth with her hands. "Captain's gonna find out if you're too loud!"

Silva peeled the girl off of her and crossed her arms. "Fine. (Y/N), what can I do to help?"

You brought your finger to your chin. You hadn't planned on getting extra help, but this might actually turn out to be in your favor. "You guys can be a distraction. Keep him away from the kitchen and his office. We're going to set up everything in there, so he can't be inside." You said.

"How long is this all gonna take?" Renko asked.

Mylius answered. "2... 3 hours maybe?"

Silva and Renko exchanged a look. "We can make that work." He said. The two locked their arms together and waltzed out the door of the kitchen, leaving you with Mylius and Altiena. Altiena was raring to go, but the poor thing was a bit clumsy. You tasked her with basic activities- mixing batter and frosting, and Mylius handled all the details. He was incredibly skilled with decorating baked goods, for some reason. It made sense- his job in Shinganshina all those years ago was at a bakery, after all.

You decided to handle the decorating in the office portion of this ordeal, so you headed over there in hopes that Renko and Silva had fulfilled their end of the bargain.

~

Silva spoke first after they left the kitchen. "Okay, I'll go make a mess in the barracks, and then you distract him for a few minutes, and then I'll come running in claiming there's some catastrophe that only Levi and his incredible cleaning skills can conquer. He always jumps at the chance to clean something up. Do you think that'll work?"

"You're a genius, Silva." Renko placed a kiss on the back of her hand like a prince would. "That's why I love you. It's a fool-proof plan."

Silva placed a hand on her cheek to dramatically blush at her lover's actions. "Stop it, you." She teased. Then she headed off in the other direction. Renko kept on his way towards Levi's office. It was only after Silva had left that he realized he was stuck with the hard part of the job. It was difficult enough to be in the same room as Levi, now he was going to have to find some way to distract him? Even if it was just for a few minutes, it was a daunting task.

He mulled over different ways to go about the situation, but before long, he was standing in front of Levi's door. His hand automatically balled into a fist and knocked on the door twice.

"What?" Came a muffled, coarse voice from inside.

"Captain Levi? It's Renko." Renko heard some shuffling, and a few seconds later the door cracked open to reveal the small man. Renko was almost a whole head taller than him, but that didn't make him any less terrifying.

"Cadet Taylor? What are you doing here?" He said, his bored tone laced with curiosity.

Renko swallowed. "Uh, I j-just was strolling by and decided to say hello." Renko mentally kicked himself. Idiot! He thought. How are you supposed to carry on a conversation from that?

Levi narrowed his eyes and opened the door wider as if to invite the cadet inside. He sighed. This might be a good opportunity. He walked back to his desk and sat down. "Are you just going to stand in the doorway like an idiot, Taylor, or are you going to come in?"

Renko scrambled and moved into the room, making sure to leave the door open a little bit before standing opposite Levi at his desk.

Levi groaned. "Sit down, cadet. I'm not that scary, am I?"

Renko gulped and hurriedly pulled out the chair from the desk. Sitting down, he said "No, sir. Not at all." That was a flat-out lie.

Levi sighed. "As long as you're here, I need your opinion on something."

Renko's eyes widened. "M-my opinion, sir?"

"Well, you're one of (Y/N)'s best friends, right?" Levi asked.

"Yeah, that's right."

"So, you must have an idea of what she likes and dislikes." Levi said, opening one of his drawers.

"I'd like to think so, sir." Said Renko, gaining back some of his confidence.

Levi pulled out a small box from his drawer and set it on his desk before opening it. He carefully pulled out a white porcelain teacup, delicately painted with soft purple and pink flowers. It looked hand-crafted and beautiful.

"I know most people tend to forget about the holiday season, but I wanted to be a little extra thoughtful this year, so I picked up this little number in an antique shop I found in one of the towns your squad leader takes you for training." Levi explained.

"So that's why you're always disappearing." Renko said, becoming more comfortable talking to the captain in front of him. "I always wondered why you would come with us and then just end up practically being gone for the whole day."

"Watching you idiots fumble around all day isn't exactly a riveting experience." Levi said. "Anyways. You're her idiot friend, so do you think she would like this?"

Renko examined the teacup. "She would absolutely love this. It looks very well made, and I know that (Y/N) loves painted flowers. But, you know, Captain..." He started to mumble.

"Speak up, cadet." Levi glared.

"Well, it doesn't really matter what you give her, Captain. She'll love it just because it came from you."

Levi felt his heart jolt at Renko's words. He was probably right, you would be happy with anything he gave you. But still, he wanted to do something special for you. He just hoped that would be enough. "Alright. Now, get out of my office." He said.

Renko's eyes widened. He's not supposed to leave yet, Silva still hasn't barged in. He needs to come up with something else to say before Levi notices how much he's hesitating.

"Actually, C-captain..." He stuttered out, thinking as he spoke. "I wanted to ask you something."

"I guess that's only fair. Make it quick." Levi said, his tone stoic and cold.

Renko shuffled his feet on the ground, trying to think of anything to say. "I uh... what do you think of Silva and I?" He said. He mentally facepalmed himself.  
Levi looked up at the cadet through his eyebrows. "You're good soldiers."

Renko brought a hand to his face to cover his eyes a bit. "No.. I mean, like.... d-do you think we are good together?"

Levi suppressed a pathetic laugh. "I couldn't care less what the two of you do in your spare time. Anyway, answer your own question. You're already dating the brat."  
"R-right." Renko said. "Thanks, captain."

Levi's eyes shifted around the room. Something fishy was going on. Renko is obviously biding his time for some reason... but Levi couldn't figure out why. As he opened his mouth to say something, his door flung open, revealing Renko's counterpart.

"Captain!" Shouted Silva. "Emergency!" The relief Renko felt was immeasurable.

Levi shot up from his chair.

"There's a huge mess in the barracks! You're the only one who can help us figure out how to clean it up!" She wailed.

Renko doubted this plan would work now that it was happening, but to his delight, Levi's face remained as serious as ever. He bolted out of his office and sprung into action. Silva walked up to Renko and gave him a high-five. "I spilled glue all over the place. That should keep him busy for a while, right?"

"I never doubted you. As I said before, you're a genius, love." Renko said, pressing a kiss to Silva's cheek.

She put her hands on her hips. "You bet I am."

At that moment you burst into the room with the box full of decorations. "Renko, would you help me with this stuff?" You said. "Mylius and Altiena are finishing up the cake."

Silva cleared her throat. "I'll go make sure the captain is being kept busy." She swiftly walked out of the room.

"All right, (Y/N). My hands are your hands."

~

Levi headed back to his office. Some idiot decided to spill glue all over the barracks... he couldn't even figure out why something like that would even be in there. It was a good thing that annoying cadet came and told him- if anyone else tried to clean it up they would have only made it worse. Levi was proud of the job he did, but now he was ready to relax.

He sighed and opened the door to his office, expecting its usual cold and empty embrace.

Instead, his office was full of warmth. Inside were all his squad mates, all of your friends, and even Hanji and Erwin. There were tiny decorations all over the room, like little party hats, some balloons, and confetti. Normally he would be annoyed about confetti on the floor, but he ignored it for the sake of the nice gesture.

"Surprise!" They all yelled, beaming smiles at Levi. The corners of his lips turned up ever-so-slightly. You stood in front of his desk, concealing the cake, but seeing him express any bit of happiness compelled you to hurl yourself toward him, enveloping him in a tight embrace. He tentatively wrapped his arms around your waist, still wary about the public display of affection.

"Thank you, everyone..." He mumbled. He's not used to so much positive attention.

You let go of him and walked over to the desk, gesturing to the cake. You didn't have any candles on it, but Mylius had written in frosting: "Happy Birthday, Captain Levi!"

He stared at it, unsure how to respond. "This is... pretty cool." He said.

Hanji laughed. "Very poetic, Levi!" She slapped a hand on his back. Altiena appeared with a knife, and then proceeded to cut slices off the cake, one for each person. Since there were so many people, the pieces ended up being pretty small, but no one could complain. The taste was incredible.

"It's my mom's homemade recipe!" Altiena exclaimed. "Do you like it, Captain?"

Levi looked at her after enjoying a few bites. "Uh-huh. It's good." In private, Levi could have written a ballad about the cake, with its perfect texture and flavor balance, but on the outside he retained his stoic expression.

Altiena smiled wide and scurried over to Mylius, who looked even more in love with her than he had been before. The cake really was pretty magical.

Everyone stuck around for a while, and you had never seen Levi so happy for so long. He didn't really even smile, but you could tell that he felt happy.

Once the last guest had left, you and Levi were alone. It was late, but it was still the 25th of December.

"Happy birthday, Levi." You said, reaching to him and giving him a peck on the lips. He welcomed you, pulling you in closer to deepen the kiss.

"Thank you." He said. You felt his lips curl into a smile against yours. "But you know, it's not just my birthday today."

"Well, duh, it's Christmas, but your birthday makes it extra special. Plus, most people forget all about the holiday nowadays."

"I didn't forget." Levi said. He left your embrace and went behind his desk, opening a drawer. He lifted a small box out of it, and carried it over to you.

"Levi, you didn't have to-"

"Just open it."

You opened the box to reveal the most gorgeous teacup you'd ever seen. It was delicately painted with beautiful flowers of pink and purple hue, and the white porcelain looked extremely well-crafted.

"It's beautiful..." You said, admiring the gift. "Thank you, Levi... seriously."

"Of course, my love." He purred. You melted at his tone, and his lips were just begging for another kiss. You happily obliged. Both of you really needed this break from stress. As you laid down in Levi's bed that night, your faces just inches apart, you felt happier than ever before.

The last thing you saw before closing your eyes was his handsome face laced with peacefulness, and you dreamt of a world free of titans, where you and he lived however you chose.

~


	17. Short Story: Tell Me a Story

Short: Tell me a Story

You climbed into your bedsheets of your quarters, as Levi stood in the doorway. He leaned against the frame as you covered your whole body with the blanket, only allowing him to see your eyes.

Despite the late hour and long day of training behind you, you didn't feel very tired. These first few months of being at headquarters were quite exhausting, but right now you felt as energized as ever. Levi took notice of this.

"Go to sleep." He said. Tonight was one of the times he'd walked you home from his office, and sometimes he'd stick around to lecture you a bit.

"I'm not tired." You mumbled. "Will you tell me a story?"

"One day, a cadet stayed up all night and the next day, titans attacked and she died. The end." He said. He was proud of that little story.

"No! A good story. One that will help me fall asleep..."

"That's not my kind of thing. I'll send Hanji over here, if you need it that bad-"

"No, I want you to tell me a story, Levi..."

He sighed. "Whatever. But you better not have any high expectations or anything." You smiled as he made his way over to you, making sure the door was open behind him. He sat down at the foot of your bed. "This... is a story my mother used to tell me." He said. You snuggled under your blankets even more, getting comfortable.

"There was a young girl who used to look up at the stars every night. She always wished for the same thing- wings. All she wanted was to fly up there with the birds during the day, and at night she wanted to touch the stars." His usual bored tone was transformed now to one of expression. He was actually a pretty good storyteller.

"One night when she was looking at the stars off of her balcony, a young boy was doing the same thing. She tried waving to him to get his attention, but she lost her balance and started to fall off the balcony. She fell all the way to the ground, but she didn't make contact. When she opened her eyes she was just inches above the ground, saved by a pair of sparkling wings that sprouted from her back." He glanced at you. You stared wide-eyed back at him.

"The girl was overcome with joy. She had finally gotten the thing she wished for. But when she looked to where the boy was earlier, he was gone. She couldn't let that ruin her fun, so she got the hang of her new wings and shot up into the air, soaring wherever she wanted. The moon illuminated her town and she watched as her own house became smaller and smaller."

"She flew through the clouds, over the treetops, and she let herself glide high in the sky. She felt like she could never stop flying." Levi glanced at you again. You had your eyes closed, but upon noticing his pause, you opened one eyelid.

"What happened next?" You whispered.

He continued. "After a little while, she noticed something following her, so she turned around abruptly. She was met with the face of the boy from earlier, who was now hovering before her, wings supporting him from behind. They looked almost identical to her own. He smiled at her and held out his hand, and wordlessly, they flew off into the night."

You felt yourself starting to drift away as Levi carried on with the story. He spoke very slowly. "They returned to their town by sunrise, and as it rose their wings started to disappear. The boy and the girl had to go their separate ways, and carry on with their daily lives. But at least once a week, they'd meet up in the middle of the darkness, sprout wings made of stardust, and fly out into the night."

Levi looked down at your sleeping face. Your mouth was slightly open, and your breaths had regulated. Your chest rose and fell under the military-grade blanket. He thought for a moment. When his mother told him this story as a child, she would always give him a kiss on the forehead. It felt wrong to tell the story without adding that crucial tradition.

He slowly leaned over you, his face just inches from your forehead. He placed his lips on your soft skin, letting them linger there for just a second before leaning away from you, letting himself admire your peaceful sleeping face.

"The end." He whispered.

~


	18. Short: Last Friend

This story takes place during the four year time skip between season 3 and 4.

Though you abhorred boring military meetings, they did offer some respite in your life. This was because they allowed you to see your old friend, Jun. It had been a little while since the two of you spoke- since after the battle of Shinganshina, in fact. And at that time, it had only been to stare at each other and cry. 

But looking at him made you smile now. You felt the loss of your friends, but at least he was still here to understand exactly how you felt. After the formalities were over, you hurled yourself at Jun, and he welcomed the embrace. He was never the touchy kind of person but the rules were different now.

"Jun!" You exclaimed. "I've missed you." You spoke into his shoulder. 

"I missed you too, (Y/N). How's the scout legion been treating you?"

"Great! But tell me about yourself, Jun, I barely know what's going on in the garrison these days." You said, pulling away from him to look him in the face. 

"Well, we've been monitoring the walls as always, but also developing some new ODM gear technology. Commander Pixis seems to be following in Hanji's footsteps with all this experimental stuff. Oh, and I got promoted. I'm a captain now."

"Captain Jun!" You smiled. "Congratulations!"

His face softened. "It gets somewhat lonely every once in a while, but I just think about how my work is going to impact the world someday. I hope... our friends would have been proud of us." 

You lifted a hand to his shoulder. "I know they are."

Jun's eyes drifted to the necklace hanging around your neck. "So you still wear that, huh?" He smiled. 

"It's a miracle it hasn't broken in battle. But yeah, as long as it exists, I'm wearing it." Your hand instinctively reached to the beaded necklace that read "M.A.S.E," But ever since you left the training grounds the second time, the letters "R" and "J" had been added as well, spelling out "MASERJ." To anyone else it would have been weird, but to you and Jun, it was a testament to your friendship.

A low voice cleared his throat behind you, and the man came so close you were almost touching.

"Captain Levi." Jun nodded. 

"Captain Jun." Levi nodded back. 

You watched as the two men held mutual respect for each other. Just a couple years ago, Jun would have been cowering in fear at the smaller captain. But you now got to witness how much he had grown in this period of time. You really were growing up.

The two of them participated in a firm handshake, and Levi narrowed his eyes. "You're taller." 

"That happens..." Jun said. Last time the two met, Jun was twenty years old, but he was a bit of a late bloomer. Levi had liked him the most out of your friends because he was just as short as he was, but he'd never admit that. Now that reason was no longer. Jun spoke again. "I hope you're treating (Y/N) well."

"Why don't you ask her?"

Your face turned red at the sudden attention. Jun looked at you expectantly, and you could almost feel Levi's smirk. "Yeah, he is." You responded. For some reason this interaction had suddenly become full of tension. Jun technically was your last friend, so he had to carry the responsibility on his shoulders that Mylius and Silva would before. Luckily you didn't need any protecting from Levi.

"Good." Jun said. Levi sensed the uneasiness and left your side. 

"Let's go on a walk." You suggested to Jun. It was a beautiful day outside, and the two of you strolled the grounds of the capitol building where the meeting had just adjourned. Several officers from different regiments roamed the grounds as well, and there was a sense of positivity in the air, despite the bleak circumstances you all faced. Things were complicated nowadays, but you were glad most people were able to find happiness in all of it somewhere. 

You chatted about old times, and Jun told you of all his new duties as a captain in the garrison. You were glad your promotion ended at squad leader, though your squad technically was gone by now...

You didn't want to let those thoughts overtake you. You wanted to spend this day with your friend. You walked all the way to a tea shop that you remembered Levi had recommended to you once, and to your surprise, Commander Pixis and Hanji were already inside, chatting over some blueberry scones- your favorite. 

"(Y/N)! You better get over here!" Hanji beckoned you over. The two of them slid over in their booth to make room for you and Jun. "You gonna introduce me to your friend, here, or what?" Hanji said, smiling.

"Right, Hanji, this is Jun, one of my friends from training."

"And one of my captains." Pixis added, giving a warm smile.

Jun's confident behavior had melted away in front of his superior. "That's right, sir." He managed to get out.

"Are those blueberry scones good?" You asked Hanji as she finished one off. 

"You betcha!" She called the waiter over to ask for some more. When you got ahold of them, they were pretty good, but not as much as the ones you had a while ago with Levi... you tried to remember the name of the place, but couldn't come up with it.

"Ladies, if you don't mind." Pixis said, starting to stand up from his place after a while of chatting together. "My captain and I need to discuss some business matters, so we'll be taking our leave now."

You and Jun looked at each other. "I'll write to you." He said. You smiled at him, then watched the two garrison officers leave the shop, leaving you and Hanji alone.

"So, I see Shorty's got you all hooked on tea, now, huh?" She said.

You chuckled. "I guess. He's rubbed off on me in more ways than one."

Hanji loved it when you started talking about Levi. You were almost as passionate as when she talked about the titans. She smiled and listened to you go on about the captain. A lot of weight had been thrown on her after Erwin died, so simple moments like these were where she was able to relax and be herself. 

You'd have to get back to everyday work soon, but for now, nothing seemed to matter but your precious friendships.

~


	19. Short: Thatcher

This story takes place a few months after your friends joined the scout legion.

"Man, today was rough." Renko complained as he flung himself onto his bed in the barracks. The others couldn't agree more.

"I could sleep for three days straight, no joke." Said Simon, one of their squad-mates. He slumped down onto the ground. 

Jeremiah scoffed. "Don't sleep there, you'll be even more sore in the morning."

"Ugh..." Elias whined. "It's bad enough when (Y/N) is training us, but when Captain Levi is there too, sometimes I just wanna run away and hide."

"Guys, don't say stuff like that. You know the two of them just want us to be the best versions of ourselves. (Y/N)'s working her butt off every day for us, and the captain too. We should be grateful to even have the positions we do." Mylius said, shifting into lecture mode. He often became like this whenever the boys complained about training.

"I'm with Mylius." Renko said. "We didn't join the scouts for nothing. If you guys didn't want to be here, you'd leave."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Elias said. "It's just... the captain's so intimidating. I don't know how someone that small can scare us so much."

Mylius laughed. "Captain Levi may be short, but that's irrelevant to his abilities as a leader."

Suddenly a figure appeared in the open doorway. All of the boys froze in place, and they felt a cold shiver down their backs as the person spoke. "Thatcher." Levi demanded. "Come out here. Let's go on a walk."

Mylius's back was toward the door, so before he turned around he studied the worried faces of his comrades, trying to send them some kind of farewell message. He had no idea what the captain could possibly want him for. This could be the last time he sees his friends.

"I'm waiting." Levi said.

Mylius headed toward the captain, walking briskly past him to the outside. Levi closed the door behind him, and started walking in an undetermined path. They were silent for a few excruciating minutes. Mylius's head was full of doubtful thoughts, wondering if this was the end of the line. As much as he was dreading whatever Levi had to say to him, he was glad when the shorter man broke the silence. 

"Tell me, are you enjoying your time in the scout legion?" Levi said in his staple bored tone.

Mylius couldn't believe his ears. Of all the things he was expecting Levi to say, petty small talk was not one of them. He gathered up all of his courage to come up with a normal response. "Well, I've only been here a few months, but yeah, you could say so."

"Good." Levi said. 

Neither man knew how to carry on the conversation with each other, so there was another painful silence before Mylius broke it.

"Just out of curiosity, how much of the conversation we were having in the barracks did you hear?" Mylius asked. The desire to know was killing him.

"All of it."

Mylius gulped. "So... you heard me calling you short?"

Levi clenched his fists, but kept himself from knocking the wind out of Mylius. He was supposed to be being nice.

Mylius couldn't believe it. He'd witnessed Levi beating someone up before for calling him 'shorty,' but now he wasn't even retaliating with anything- not even a comeback insult. (Y/N) really must be rubbing off on him, eh? Mylius thought.

"I did... hear that. And I've elected to ignore it." Levi said through gritted teeth.

"Captain, forgive me if I'm being too forward, but why did you ask me to go on a walk with you?"

Levi scoffed. "Can't an officer be interested in the feelings of his subordinates every once in a while? Is that a crime, or something?"

"No, not at all. It just seems... out of character." Mylius said.

"Sue me for trying to branch out, I guess." Levi rolled his eyes. They kept walking, the silence more bearable than before. Levi sighed. "(Y/N) told me I should try to make friends with you brats."

"Aww..." Mylius cooed. "That's nice."

"Tch. Whatever."

The two men kept participating in this slow-going conversation, until they finally kept up a steady pace. It took a long time to break the ice, but it turned out that the two of them could relate on a lot of things- and not just their mutual love and respect for a certain squad leader. Both of them enjoyed working out, writing letters, and one could even compare Levi's illustration talents to Mylius's cake-decorating skills. They also both felt a sizable amount of pride in the scout legion. 

Mylius found that Levi was actually a really easy person to talk to once you've broken apart his hard exterior. And Levi was surprised to find out that he wasn't actually that annoyed with his girlfriend's best friend. 

After a while, Mylius decided to ask about something he's been wondering about for a while. "Captain, you used to live in the Underground, right?"

Levi's eyes narrowed. "Who told you?"

Mylius waved his hands in the air, as if to shoo off the negative energy Levi had just picked up. "No one, I just have noticed by the way you react whenever anyone happens to mention it around you. I'm a pretty observant person, you know. I hope you don't mind me asking."

Levi scoffed. "There's no point in lying if you could already tell. Yes, I am originally from the Underground. But I came up here and joined the scouts, so that's that."

Mylius pressed the captain further, though his curiosity came from a place of innocence. "What made you decide to join the scout legion?"

Levi thought for a moment. It took him a very long time to gather up the courage to tell the woman he loves his full story. He wasn't about to out himself to this cadet after just one night of serious conversation. He'd have to come up with some kind of lie. 

"I knew I'd be the most useful here, so I joined. That, and Commander Erwin inspired me." This was only a half-lie. Erwin wasn't the reason he joined, but he was the reason he stayed. "It's simple, really."

"It's interesting to me how everyone has a different reason for joining." Mylius reflected. "Some people are just satisfied with 'I want to kill all the titans' like that Yeager kid back at the training grounds, but then there's people like (Y/N) who want to learn more about the titans and explore outside of the walls. I wonder how many people are actually going to get to live out the reason why they joined."

"If I want to be honest, not a lot of them will." Levi said. "Almost everyone who joins is an idiot. What's your reason?"

"I think the easy answer is that I just want to follow (Y/N). But when I think about it, I think it's like a similar reason to yours. I've trained hard to become strong, and that was so I could protect people. It would be a waste to build myself up and then not use that work for the greater good of humanity. I know that I'm a valuable asset."

"Spoken like a cadet who graduated top of the class." Levi said. 

"Actually, I was second. Silva beat me by a hair." Mylius corrected him. 

"Right, that brat. I think she's going to be the hardest for me to get along with."

"I agree. That girl's always had it out for you." Mylius laughed. "And no amount of cleaning sentences can wipe that grin off her face whenever she riles you up. I can't say it's not extremely entertaining to watch, though."

Levi groaned. "Exactly what I don't need. Cadets getting comfortable."

Mylius huffed. "Then what would you call this?"

Levi had no response. He was thoroughly stumped. Yet another unacceptable instance of him getting messed around with by his subordinates. Maybe trying to fraternize with them was a mistake.

"I would call it, 'this never happened.' I called you out here and yelled at you for calling me short, and then I gave you a few bruises and sent you back to the barracks. Would you like me to carry on with the next part of this?" He balled his fist and raised it in the air.

Mylius raised his arms in defense and suppressed a laugh. "No! No, I won't tell anyone. Just... don't hurt me. Please."

"You got away with it this time, cadet. But next time I hear you disparaging my name in front of your comrades, you won't be so injury-free." Levi threatened. 

"Good talk." Mylius said, giving Levi a dramatic salute. 

"Run along, now. I won't tolerate sluggish behavior during training tomorrow." Levi said. 

With that, Mylius was off, walking himself alone back to the barracks. What a whirlwind of events. What he thought was going to be a beating actually turned out to be a great conversation with an unexpected acquaintance. Mylius didn't know what Levi's requirements were for friendship, but to him, this seemed like the start of one. 

He has to admit he's glad that they turned out to get along, because for the longest time they just avoided each other. If Mylius didn't approve of Levi, things would be awkward. He basically serves as an older-brother figure to Levi's counterpart, so it was kind of unspoken that Levi would want to gain his favor. Seems a bit weird considering he's much younger and his subordinate, but one cannot always control how the chips fall.

Mylius walked back into the barracks, feeling refreshed. All of his comrades were fast asleep when he arrived, blissfully unaware of the wild experience that he just had. He was glad he wouldn't have to try to come up with some excuse as to what they were doing just now- he would probably just tell them he got a good talking-to once they all woke up.

Mylius fell asleep that night feeling confident that his best friend was in good hands with the captain.

~


End file.
